Metroid III: Return to Zebes
by Magus523
Summary: The Space Pirates have risen again, and captured the last surviving Metroid. A lone Bounty Hunter must save the galaxy again... Novelization.
1. Prologue

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Prologue 

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The last Metroid is in captivity. The galaxy is at peace... 

Stories. They're odd things sometimes. A story is supposed to have a clearly defined beginning and ending. The good guys and the bad guys are also supposed to be clearly defined, most of the time. That's the way things go; that's why they're stories. My own history, however, doesn't fit those criteria at all. It's very hard to tell where the interesting part, the part that made my name known all across this side of the galaxy from Magani to Drihos, begins. And it's even harder to tell where it ends, because to my knowledge, it still hasn't. Maybe it never will. The lines between the good guys and the bad guys SEEM more clearly defined. But then again, I'm no saint. Some of the stories make me out as some kind of heroic champion, but I know better. I'm a bounty hunter, and I've done my share of things I don't want to talk about. And people who should have been, or still are, my enemies have done things that have surprised me sometimes. One or two cases in particular. But we'll get to that later. 

Anyways, I've had plenty of stories told about me, in all sorts of places. From throne rooms to cheap taverns to government facilities to deep-space truck routes. Some of those stories are even true. My name's Samus Aran, by the way, in case you couldn't tell before now. Yeah, that's me, the legendary Pirate-Killer and Metroid-Buster. Oy. There's a reason I try to stay off of the major planets. Guess what it is. But then again, if I completely hated publicity, I wouldn't be writing this, now would I? Ah well, at least I don't have it as bad as Horzat... yeah, I'm mentioning you in the foreword, you old crab. Maybe it'll get you some more business, hopefully with a drunken Iz trucker. I wish you all the good and ill health that may come your way. 

Back on subject. I suppose it all really started when the Space Pirates found Planet SR-388. What I got around to before then is MY business, and I don't need to go telling my private life to everybody who'll pick this off a bookshelf. It's unimportant, and it's not what you want to read about anyways, most likely. If it IS, then I implore you in the strongest possible terms to go find a life of your own instead of trying to find everything out about mine. And yes, I DO enforce my privacy with my gun. Anyways, the Pirates were doing some routine exploration of the far side of the galaxy, looking for something to pillage. Since it was the far side, they knew the Federation wouldn't give a shit about what they did. I've never been terribly impressed with them anyways. To cut a long story short, they found the mother load. Metroids, an alien life form of incredible strength that could literally drain the life out of anything they latched on to. The Pirates were thrilled... for the ten minutes they survived on that planet. The second task force was more prepared. They lasted twenty minutes. 

Okay, let's cut to the chase. Eventually, the Pirates sent about five hundred of their guys, led by one of the top leaders, Phantoon. They successfully managed to immobilize and capture about twenty Metroids in their baby stages, losing only half their men. They didn't even TRY for older ones. Back on their base planet, Zebes, the Pirates began raising the Metroids, planning to breed them. Before long, the Galactic Federation got wind of this, and they tried negotiating with the Space Pirates. That's right, negotiating. I TOLD you I wasn't impressed with the Feds. Well, while those talks were going on, a Federation Commanding Officer who actually had his head screwed on straight named Adam Malkovich decided that it would be a perfectly distracting time to send in a small, stealth strike. And so, he contacted the best Bounty Hunter in the galaxy, a person so secretive nobody even knew what he looked like. Me. 

Yes, that was a he. Like I said, at that time just about nobody had seen me out of my Power Suit, so they didn't know I was female. It helped protect my privacy, so I didn't bother correcting it. When Adam first contacted me, I refused, but when I heard the whole situation I didn't have much choice. Alone, I descended to Zebes with my mission: Destroy the Metroids and the Pirate Queen, Mother Brain. I fought my way through the dank jungles of Brinstar and the fiery depths of Norfair. Since it was a stealth mission, I managed to avoid combat with the Pirates themselves for the most part, although I had my hands full with the native wildlife. The two major exceptions to the rule were the two Pirate Lords of the four under Mother Brain that had been stationed on Zebes: Ridley and Kraid. Kraid was their head scientest as well as a powerful fighter, much smarter than the average Iz, and his tricks almost got the better of me several times. Ridley was their best warrior, a savage Drakar with speed, strength and cunning that came very close to defeating me in battle. I killed both of them, though, and thus opened the way into Tourian, the Space Pirate facility where the Metroids were being bred and Mother Brain was hiding. Suffice it to say I was victorious. Mother Brain was wasted, and Tourian self-destructed, getting rid of all Pirate-held Metroids. Or so we thought. I was dubbed a hero by the Galactic Federation. That was the point at which I decided "what the hell" and took my power suit off in front of cameras for the first time. Look at me, I'm a girl. 

After THAT debacle was cleared up, I went back to bounty hunting. A couple years later, I was just going about business as usual when I recieved an SOS signal from a damaged freighter. I went to see how I could help, and landed in a shitload of trouble. It was the Space Pirates again; they had had a breakout of hostile specimens onboard their hijacked freighter. The fact that they were back in business at all was sufficient reason to investigate for me. Before I found much, though, the whole place went critical and I had to move my ass outta there. Upon doing so, I ran into an old friend. Ridley, somehow back from the dead with a shiny new cybernetic body. Naturally, when he ran off I chased him in my ship, to a planet called Tallon IV. After I made a mess of things on Zebes, the pirates had set up a base there, under the leadership of the two remaining bosses, Phantoon and Draygon. Seemed they hadn't gotten around to reviving Mother Brain and Kraid yet; just Ridley, who they were bossing around. Those two were smart enough to stay out of the facility and off the planet themselves, but they ordered Ridley to stay there and lead that facility under them. Something which pissed him off to no end... 

But I'm not here to deliver a lecture on the structure of the Space Pirate hierarchy. On Tallon IV, the Pirates weren't the only problem. Seems I hadn't nailed all the Pirate supply of Metroids back on Zebes, and they were breeding the nasty little bugs here too. And there were more than just the ordinary ones too; I started finding bizarre mutations. I found the source of this at the end of this incident. But in the meantime, I investigated Tallon IV, the Space Pirates, and the Chozo ruins here. What are the Chozo, you ask? A species of avianoids that are now extinct. They were extraordinarily wise and traveled all over the galaxy centuries before most of the Federation's species achieved space travel. They're also the ones who built my Power Suit. That's all you're getting out of me on them, now. Back to Tallon IV. The Pirates were also experimenting with a strange and dangerous mineral called Phazon. In the end, I discovered that the mutated Metroids and the Phazon had the same source: A warped abomination known as Metroid Prime that the Chozo had sealed away. Near the end of my journey, I met up with Ridley again with his shiny new implants; although Phantoon and Draygon wanted to get their hands on Metroid Prime, Ridley was smart enough to realize what a threat it was to everything. However, when I went to wipe out the big bug for good, Ridley figured he could kill two birds with one stone by attacking me. Keep Prime sealed, and settle his score with me. Too bad for him, I whupped him again. And then I went on to prove his fears were unfounded by offing Metroid Prime as well. This was just not Ridley's day, especially since the explosions wiped out every Metroid the Pirates had, for good this time. 

After that little incident, I once again returned to bounty hunting for a few years until the Federation called on me again. They had decided Metroids were a threat to the galaxy, and wanted them eradicated. Unfortunately, since SR-388 was on the Far Side, they couldn't send in an army to do the job. So they sent in a single highly-skilled operative to exterminate every Metroid in existence. Me. Yeah, my job's great. I made the trip down to SR-388, and I discovered for the first time that the Metroids I had been fighting... were just the babies. I had to fight off all the stronger stages now; child Alphas, teenaged Betas, young adult Zetas, and the horribly powerful mature Omegas. And that wasn't the end of it; after exterminating every other Metroid, I had to slay the Queen Metroid, the mother of them all. Needless to say, I eventually succeeded. Then I found its last egg, which promptly hatched into a newborn Metroid. It seemed to think I was its mother, and it followed me around like a confused child, exhibitng none of the threatening tendencies of its brethren. Somehow, even though I knew what a menace it was, I couldn't bring myself to kill the Metroid, which I named Matrix. Instead, I brought it back with me on my ship and personally delivered it to the scientific research Space Station Ceres for study. 

And that's where our story begins. Departing from Ceres, I knew that little Matrix would be in good hands. However, I couldn't shake this feeling of dread... a feeling which turned out to be dead-on accurate. But that came later. For now, let's start this story, or at least this portion of my life's story, at what I suppose was the beginning. Bounty hunting... 


	2. Chapter 1: Bounty Hunting Blues

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Chapter 1: Bounty Hunting Blues 

"Huff... puff..." A tall, lanky form ran quickly down a dark alleyway at night. The sound of heavy breathing came from where its lower appendages met at the bottom, in a single foot. However, it appeared to be using the longer limbs that came from its shoulders as feet instead, keeping its single foot raised. As it ran, it turned its head, which was actually just one huge eye on a stalk, to look around. "Where is she... did I lose her?" 

"Hardly." A chillingly calm voice responded to him. With a shriek, the creature took increased its speed, attempting to get out of the alley. Just as if it looked like it was about to make it, though, another form stepped out in front of it, blocking the way. The newcomer was humanoid, wearing an orange-and-yellow robotic power suit. As the fleeing creature whimpered and backed away, the power suit wearer pointed the blaster on its right arm at the runner. "Swueelb of Lorkus. This is your first criminal offense, ever." Whoever was in the suit shook its head. "Why'd you have to go and shoot that Federation guy? Granted, he was a politician, but still..." Swueelb stopped moving, and he angrily raised his foot to reveal a mouth on the underside. 

"You should talk, Samus Aran!" He hissed. "After what you've done, you have no right to talk about crimes with me!" 

"What I've done?" Samus stepped forward, frowning under her helmet. "What on Magani are you jabbering about, you little thug? Have you been drinking? Is that why you shot the guy?" 

"HA!" Swueelb yelled. "You think I don't know? EVERYBODY knows! It's all over the news, every planet!" 

"I'm starting to lose my patience." Samus growled. "WHAT'S all over the news?" 

"The Metroid!" Swueelb howled. "You gave a Metroid to a Federation-run Space Station, you idiot! You've doomed the Galaxy!" 

"Oh, that." Samus sighed. "The Metroid's only an infant, and it's not sucking energy. It-" 

"You think it will stay an infant forever?!" The Lorkian laughed bitterly. "I wish! It'll grow up, and do you know what those idiots at the Federation will do? They'll let it BREED! They'll try to control those monstrosities, and the whole galaxy will be overrun! We'll all be doomed!" 

"Is that why you...?" Samus asked quietly. Swueelb lowered his eye. 

"Yeah. That's why I shot the Federation guy. He was spouting bullshit about using that freak for the good of the galaxy, and I just couldn't take it anymore! That thing's a menace, and all they care about is how they think they can use it for their own good! They don't realize what the hell it IS! It's a freakin' METROID, dammitall!" He raised his eye again, glaring at Samus. "I would think YOU of all people would know what that thing is capable of! You're the one who fought them off twice before with the Space Pirates before you even went to SR-388! When I heard about that expedition, that you were going to exterminate the Metroids, I was cheering for you! I thought that you would finally make the galaxy safe from those beasts! And what do you do?! YOU BRING ONE BACK AND TURN IT OVER TO THE FEDS!" 

"You're hysterical." Samus told him grimly. "Stop screaming. Don't make this any more difficult than it has to be, Swueelb. I'm a bounty hunter, but I'm not completely cold-blooded... I really don't want to have to go for the 'Dead' bounty if I don't have to. It pays less, for one." 

"Ah yes, I forgot!" Swueelb giggled madly. "You're a bounty hunter. You're no hero, or great savior, or any of that! You're just another lousy stinking bounty hunter trying to make a quick buck! I'm sure the Federation paid you very well for that Metroid, and that's all you care about, right? As far as you're concerned, the rest of the galaxy is just more bounties, and who cares if they die!" 

"You're starting to irritate me, pal." Samus said dangerously. "I really don't think you want to do that." 

"Oh, Jaksha forbid!" The Lorkian said mockingly. "I'm irritating Samus Aran! What a crime! You know what, little miss Aran? I. DO. NOT. CARE! The whole galaxy is going down, and you think I'm concerned about offending you? I'm dead anyways, and so is everybody else! You've doomed us all, you imbecile!" 

"Swueelb..." The bounty hunter said warningly, slowly moving closer. Swueelb ignored her. 

"It's over! It's all over! Who cares if I gun down a Federation officer, or a million Federation officers? Who cares if you blast my head off now, or do that to every bounty you go after? When you compare that to what you did by giving that Metroid to the Feds, it's trivial! Unimportant! Pathetic! When the galaxy's going to splat, who cares about one or two unrelated deaths? NOT ME!" 

"There's nothing like that to worry about." Samus told Swueelb as she kept edging towards him. "The Federation won't abuse the Metroid's power, and they won't breed it. To do so would be the work of complete idiots, and it would be far too dangerous. They won't do it." 

"You're even more naive than I was!" The Lorkian laughed. "You fool, the Federation does what they want, and they want the power of the Metroids! And they're too self-confident to even consider that it might be beyond their control! Plus, even if by some chance they manage to keep their ambitions under control and don't use that thing, there's still the Space-" Swueelb never even saw the punch coming. Samus' metal-clad fist slammed into the exact center of the Lorkian's body. He let out a small, surprised scream as his eye rolled upward, and a moment later, he collapsed, unconscious. Samus nodded. 

"Good. I THOUGHT that's where his brain was located. I hate dealing with lifeforms with bizarre anatomy." The bounty hunter remained standing there for several moments, looking at the collapsed Swueelb before her without saying anything. Finally, she shook her head and made a noise of disgust. "Idiot. Paranoia and fear of government... that's all. He was just babbling... yeah. That's it..." She crouched and picked up the Lorkian's body, hefting it over her shoulder and tying the rubbery, flexible arms in a knot in case he woke up. Before she moved on, though, she stopped for another moment and looked up at the sky, trying to find Space Station Ceres. "Still... I wonder how Matrix is doing." She frowned. "Ah, cut it out, Aran. He's probably fine. Those scientists are taking good care of him, you know that." She grunted slightly. "Oy, this guy weighs a lot more than he looks. Come on, sleeping ugly, let's get you down to the local Federation station so I can cash you in before my spine telescopes. I wanna stop by Horzat's for a drink sometime tonight." She shifted the bounty's weight, then carried him out of the alley and down an outside street. Once she was gone, two pairs of eyes lit up, and two lifeforms slipped out from behind garbage dumpsters. 

"Shall we follow her?" The first asked. Its partner shook its head. 

"No. We know where she will be going after the Federation station. She will be visiting the traitor. Let us rejoin the others, then contact our master for further instructions." 

"Agreed." The two creatures moved off quietly, leaving no trace of their prescence. 

*** 

Draygon crawled down the winding stone halls, nodding at each of the Zebesian guards as he passed them. A green, insectoid Evir with a massively bulging head and a spearlike tail, Draygon was a water-dweller and thus had a breathing tank on his back hooked up to his mouth. At the bottom, the Zebesian who was at the door frowned at him. 

"This is Level-2 security. Present your ID." Draygon frowned. Before he could speak, though, his partner beat him to it. 

"Insolent fool... be glad that we do not kill you where you stand for your insult." Over Draygon, there was a distortion in the air, and a gigantic creature appeared out of nowhere. It was an Elocto; a giant, brown-skinned mollusk with a bulging body sac up top above the head. Below the head, a pair of tentacles waved. As it opened its mouth to speak again, a single eye was revealed inside it. "You do not recognize us?!" The Zebesian gulped. 

"M... Master Phantoon! And... are y-you Master D-Draygon?" Draygon scowled. 

"Of course I am, wretch! You have exactly three seconds to open this door before I-" The door opened. "Good. You live another day. However..." He glared at the guard, who was trembling violently. "The V-Level corps have no need for you. You are demoted. Turn in your armor upgrade and return to your former squad." The Zebesian nodded and ran as Draygon crawled into the door, Phantoon simply phasing through the wall. 

"That was a bit unneccessary, Draygon." Phantoon told his partner. "The death threat would have sufficed." 

"I'm in a bad mood." The Evir admitted. "Having to go off the Sys-Gro and come on land always makes me irritable. Maybe I should cut back." 

"I would." Phantoon advised as they continued through the extremely cold tunnel. "We still don't know all the side effects. Well, except for that fat fool Kraid's going bald, but that could easily be natural." 

"That useless idiot probably just mistook weed killer for his shampoo." Draygon snickered. The two of them slid into the water pit at the end of the tunnel, got on the elevator and rode it down. "Aah, this feels good... or maybe it was coming back from the dead that wiped out his hair. I wouldn't be surprised." 

"Reviving from death didn't hurt Ridley either time." Phantoon observed as they reached their destination, moved over the lava pit and continued down the metal halls. "But then again, he never had hair in the first place." 

"Please, don't mention that sickening saurian's name around me." Draygon complained. "I hate that guy." 

"I can assure you, Draygon, that the feeling is mutual." A new voice came from overhead, and the two Space Pirates looked up to see a lean, dactyl-like Drakar hanging from the ceiling. Ridley grinned, showing about five hundred fangs in his long beak, then flipped around and flew down. "My esteemed colleagues. Kraid and I thought we would wait for you; you know how SHE likes us to come in together." He rolled his eyes. "I think she wants us to be all buddy-buddy, four ways. Of course, we all know how likely THAT is, but hey, what the boss lady says, goes, right?" He mockingly patted Draygon and Phantoon on their shoulders. 

"Your sense of humor is as questionable as always, Ridley." Draygon said acidly. "I suppose Kraid is around here somewhere?" 

"Right here, Draygon." A fourth voice came from around the corner. The three of them walked around to meet a massively fat reptilian Iz with a vertical row of spikes on his abdomen. Kraid's three eyes blinked, looking them over. 

"I see you're off the Sys-Gro as well, Draygon." 

"Of course I am, you idiot." Draygon snapped as the four Space Pirates continued down the hall. "If I wasn't, I wouldn't be able to fit through the tunnels!" 

"Phantoon doesn't have any trouble." Kraid grunted. "Do you, Phanty?" 

"No, Kraid, I don't." Phantoon's voice was sickeningly sweet. "That's because I can phase out and move my molecules through other molecules. I bet you wish you could phase out all that lard of yours, don't you. And I'd imagine Ridley bruises his wings a lot when he bends over to go through doors." 

"Oh, of course." Ridley grinned evilly, sidling over to Phantoon. "I'm an expert on all sorts of bruises, Phantoon. Would you like me to give you some?" The Elocto shrank back a bit as they entered the door at the end, and Draygon hissed. 

"Ridley..." 

"All of you, stop now!" A loud, female voice silenced them all. A large meeting table had four seats, and at the head of the table, a tank of liquid held a floating lifeform. The four leaders bowed. 

"Milady Mother Brain." Ridley greeted her. "We have come as commanded. It is time for the weekly meeting, is it not?" 

"Yes it is." Mother Brain, the Pirate Queen, agreed with the Drakar. "Sit, all of you. We have much to discuss." They complied. "Kraid, I wish to once again congratulate you on persuading the KiHunters to join us. With that, you have increased our numbers by half again." 

"I live but to serve." Kraid smiled. Ridley pumped his fist. 

"Three cheers for Kraid! Hip, hip, hooray!" Phantoon and Draygon reluctantly joined in. Kraid grinned even wider. 

"Now, are there any ideas for more recruits?" Mother Brain demanded. Phantoon raised a tentacle. 

"There are the Yakuza. They are operating a small-time syndicate of their own, so joining us would come naturally to them." 

"Bad idea." Kraid shook his head. "Research better next time, Phantoon. Yakuza and KiHunters are from the same planet; as a matter of fact, the Yakuza are the chief predator of the KiHunters. Do the math." 

"Yeah, kinda like how you're the chief predator of cheesy poofs." Phantoon muttered under his breath. Draygon cleared his throat. 

"Speaking of which, when will the KiHunters finish their Zero stage?" 

"Within a few days." Mother Brain informed him. "It will not be long now. Now then, has the expedition force we sent to SR-388 returned?" Kraid's eyes dimmed in regret and apology. 

"I'm afraid so, and our fears were confirmed. They're all gone. Totally wiped out. No Larva, Alphas, Betas, Zetas, or Omegas left, and obviously no Queen. The only Metroid left in existence is in the hands of Samus Aran." 

"Damnation!" Mother Brain hissed. "Accursed human! It appears we must take it from her, then... Ridley, have Ezer and Garan returned your calls yet?" 

"Not yet, boss lady." Ridley shrugged apologetically. "They should be calling right about-" A beeping noise came from behind Ridley's wing. "Now. Ah, there we go." Reaching behind it, he pulled out a pocket communicator and flipped it on. "Yes? Hello. Did you-? Good. Ooh, very good." He looked up. "They say they found her, and she's heading for that traitor Horzat's place." 

"Good, good." Mother Brain told him. "Order them to send in their forces, then those two come back here. The strike force can work without them; even if Samus Aran survives the attack, they'll wipe out Horzat. I have different plans for Ezer and Garan... and for you as well, Ridley." 

"You hear that?" Ridley talked into the comm. "Excellent. Carry out your orders. Mm-hmm. See ya then." He closed it up and put it away. "They'll do it." Mother Brain nodded. 

"Very well. Now, on to the next topic of discussion... we've recently acquired a new assassin." 

"With all due respect, milady..." Phantoon spoke up. "How is this particularly important?" 

"He is no ordinary assassin, Phantoon." Mother Brain told him. "Our new friend is an Allgor from Planet Gawjam on the Far Side." Her four underlings all recoiled in surprise. The Far Side referred to the half of the galaxy that was not part of the Galactic Federation. Draygon was first to recover. 

"A valuable acquisition indeed..." The Evir's eyes lit up. "He has no record or identity with the Federation..." 

"Until recently, he was a serial killer on plant Magari." Mother Brain continued. "When he heard about us, he hijacked a shuttle, came here, and fought his way to meet me. A bit dramatic, but it worked. I'll need one of you to test him and see how good he is in combat." Ridley's hand shot up immediately, followed only a half-second later by Draygon's. "Not you, Ridley. I already told you I have another assignment for you." Muttering curses in some forgotten language, the Drakar withdrew his claw. "Draygon, you do it. Oh, and by the way... have you taken care of that damned Botwoon infestation in Maridia yet?" 

"Just about, milady." Draygon assured her. "There's only one left; he's a slippery bastard, but we'll get him." 

"Good. I believe that is all. You're all dismissed." As they rose to leave, Phantoon moved over next to Draygon. 

"Are you sure about this, Draygon? I've heard some very nasty things about Allgors..." 

"Phantoon, I'll be fine." The Evir patiently reminded his friend. "I'm one of the leaders of the Pirate Lords. A simple serial killer won't be able to seriously injure me. What are you worried about?" 

"He's concerned about you, Draygon." Kraid snickered as he lumbered out. "He worries that his best buddy might get himself splattered all over Maridia. Heh heh heh... well, isn't that cute." The Elocto glared daggers at Kraid's back, then followed him out, accompanied by Draygon. As Ridley was about to leave, though, Mother Brain called him back. 

"No, wait, Ridley. You may stay here. We need to discuss what your new mission shall be once Ezer and Garan return." Ridley bowed flamboyantly. 

"Your every wish is my command, milady. Now, what exactly is it that you wish me to do?" 

*** 

"Name: Swueelb. Wanted For: Murder. Species: Lorkian, from Planet Loo. Last Seen: Planet Magani. Alive Bounty: 50000." The Federation Officer behind the desk nodded and looked up from his computer. "That's him, all right. Good job, miss Aran." He kicked Swueelb, who was still unconscious. "This SOB wiped out my boss, so it's kinda personal thing for our station. I know some guys in back who'll be really glad to see him." He grinned viciously. Samus smiled back. 

"That's great. Now, the payoff, if you don't mind." 

"Right, right." The Officer pressed a few keys on his computer, then motioned Samus to put her card in the slot in front of the desk. She did, and on the screen facing her, watched her sums increase by 50000. As Samus removed her card, the Officer handed her a CD. 

"What's this?" 

"Just a little thank-you for bringing this guy in from all of us here." The Officer told her. "It's a Bounty that won't be out publicly until tomorrow, so you can get a head start. I think you in particular will find this one very interesting. See ya around." 

"Rightyo." Samus waved as she walked out, onto the streets of Magani. "I'll look at it later; right now, I need a drink." She continued down the streets, passing freighters, petty crooks and other bounty hunters. Located just outside Earth's Solar System, Planet Magani was a popular hangout for such types. It was a rough, barren world without natural intelligent life, and none of the planets had been interested enough to claim it before the Federation was started, so there really wasn't much in the way of organization, or permanent habitation. Most people on Magani stayed for no more than a week at a time. The civilized galaxy tended to ignore it, which was probably why it attracted those who liked to avoid civilization. 

"Like me." Samus chuckled as she lost sight of the Federation area. Passing by her ship, she made a quick check that nobody had tried to jack it and gotten knocked out by the antitheft system, then went on. A couple blocks down, she stopped in front of what looked to be a rarity on Magani: A building that was built to last more than a couple weeks. It was an old building that looked like it had been there for decades, although Samus knew that it had only been around for less than eight years. A sign over the door read "Horzat's Bar." She walked in. 

"Hey, Samus!" A young man in a blue power suit called as she walked in. She nodded in his direction. 

"Hey, Falcon. How you doing?" 

"Just great!" Falcon grinned. "The bounties are falling right into my lap. Soon as I'm done here, I'm going to go out and nail that killer, Swueelb. A hundred credits says I get him within a day!" Samus laughed as she removed her helmet. 

"I'd be glad to take you up on that, Falcon. Especially since I just caught Swueelb myself less than an hour ago." 

"Argh!" Falcon reeled dramatically. "You've beaten me to the punch again! Watch your heels, Samus; one of these days I'll be better than you!" She snorted. 

"Yeah, and maybe someday it'll rain beer too." Samus sat down in front of the bar and waited. Several minutes later, the barman stumped over. 

"Well, well. If it isn't miss Samus Aran." The barkeep growled. "Got tired of chasing crooks? Or did you fall in an open manhole during a chase?" He was an old creature, walking with a cane. He had a blue exoskeleton, dull with age, and his right arm ended in a large claw; the left arm was cut off at the wrist. He had a pegleg and an eyepatch, and wore a cheesy fake white beard. 

"Nah, I just came in to pester you." Samus grinned at Horzat the Zebesian. "I decided that it had been too long since I visited and made you blow a blood vessel, coot." 

"Not nearly long enough, actually." Horzat grumbled as he took down a mug. "You're not very popular lately, Samus. Everybody knows about what you did with the last Metroid, and not too many of them agree with you." 

"Including you, crab?" Samus asked significantly. Horzat harrumphed. 

"Let's just say I don't have an opinion. Just like everything else having to do with politics. You want the usual?" The bounty hunter shook her head. 

"Not tonight, I don't. It hasn't been the best of days. Gimme a Boris Yeltsin, beer jockey." Horzat's single good eye widened in surprise. 

"Sheez, looks like all that hype's affecting you too. You sure about this? You'll have a hangover the size of Draconis tomorrow..." 

"Yeah, I'm sure." Samus told him. "I want to forget some stuff that's been happening lately, if only for a few hours, alright?" 

"Well, a Boris Yeltsin'll do that to ya, all right." Horzat shrugged. "Hey, you're the paying customer. It's your choice. And your head." He put the mug back and took out one as wide as a hubcap. "So. What happened to that fancy Gravity Suit you were sporting last time I saw you? And all those kickass weapons and all that other stuff? You look like a novice fresh out of training." Samus made an indelicate noise. 

"Bureacracy. When you cross over to the Far Side or from there to here, you have to leave everything but the bare essentials with the Feds to check out. They say they'll send it back to you once they've okayed it, but I haven't gotten a single scrap of my stuff returned, which doesn't really surprise me one bit." 

"Me either." The Zebesian agreed as he pulled a bottle of Earth Vodka down from a shelf. "Governments everywhere are always like that. Even with the Pirates, if you got bonus pay it would take forever for it to actually be sent to you. It had to get okayed by each of the four Captains under M.B., and as you probably know, they didn't exactly get along. There was this one time when I was working under Ridley, and..." 

"Whoa." Samus held up her hand. "Hold on a moment. Please, save the old stories until AFTER I'm drunk off my ass, okay you yap? They're always better that way, because my brain doesn't really make the connection between your old bossman and the guy I've blown away twice." 

"Fine, whatever." Horzat grumbled as he tossed the empty bottle over his shoulder and started looking for some Moonshine. "Watch the TV until then for all I care. It's on your favorite channel anyways." Samus nodded and glanced up at the set hanging in a corner of the ceiling. A Ganian and a Kor were talking about the latest bounties. 

"And here's the big star of today's show!" The Kor announced. The screen changed to a shot of a red reptile with a long snout and multiple eyes. "Say hello to Crocomire, boys and girls! This nasty serial killer comes from all the way over on the Far Side! He's an Allgor from Gawjam, and recently joined the Space Pirates! Be warned, this will be a tough fight, because Allgors have incredibly powerful natural armor and are nearly invincible to all standard weaponry! Therefore, it is highly recommended that only experienced Bounty Hunters try bringing in this bad boy, and that they go for the "alive" bounty, since killing him would likely require something restricted even by criminals! He's wanted on charges of Space Piracy, Murder, Mass Destruction, and Organized Crime! Bounty is 250000 Dead, and 300000 Alive!" 

"Bingo!" Falcon called out, pointing at the screen. "That's who my next target's going to be! I'm gonna take down Crocomire, and score myself five times what I woulda gotten from Swueelb!" He looked over at Samus. "You gonna try for this guy?" 

"Ask me again in the morning." She replied tersely. "Right now, I can't decide whether I want to aggravate the Pirates or stay away from them as long as possible. Although I'll admit I'm leaning towards the first right now." 

"That's the spirit!" Falcon grinned. "Just don't take too long deciding! Remember, first come first served!" 

"Also, first come first splattered." Horzat commented as he finished filling Samus' mug with a beverage that was swirling brown and white. "Don't get too cocky, kid, or you'll lose an eye. I did." 

"Oooh, cranky." Falcon mocked. "I'll be fine, Horzat. I'm experienced. And I'm also thirsty. Bring me another I Brew, willya?" Grumbling, Horzat stumped over to get Falcon's mug as Samus took a sip of her own drink and began coughing. 

"Yeah, that's what I want." She wheezed. "This stuff could fell an Dugh." 

"I think that's what they had in mind when they designed it." Horzat told her as he refilled Falcon's mug. "A drink designed solely for getting you as stone piss drunk as possible within seconds SOUNDS convenient, but the reality is far less pretty. Watch that, Samus. If you chug it, it might kill you." 

"Gee, and wouldn't that be a shame." The female bounty hunter muttered, the alcohol already beginning to take effect. Horzat glared at her. 

"I'm serious her, Samus. Don't take a stupid chance like that. I've seen enough deaths already to last me several lifetimes." 

"Wow, Horzat." Samus looked up in surprise and slight amusement. "That almost sounded like you cared." The Zebesian snorted in derision as he gave Falcon the drink and collected the money. 

"Yeah, right. And tomorrow I'm gonna pledge to donate all my proceeds for the next month to charity. Try, I care for the cash you keep spending here. Otherwise, I don't think so." 

"Yeah, sure." Samus laughed. "Whatever. It's not worth debating right now. Now, all I want to think about is nothing. That, and getting drunk." She took another swig from the giant tankard as Horzat moved back behind the bar. 

"If you don't want to listen to stories right now, Samus, how about telling some? It doesn't have to be related to that Federation decision of yours..." 

"Yeah, most of us don't like hearing about the Feds anyways!" Falcon grinned. "Why don't you tell us all some horror stories about the nasty, scary monsters you found on SR-388?" The other patrons were sliding their chairs over. Samus glared at her friend. 

"Falcon..." 

"Come on, Samus! Tell us about the adventures of the legendary Bounty Hunter!" His face was intentionally innocent and boyish. "Pleeease?" She sighed, then glared over at Horzat. 

"Thanks a bunch." Horzat grinned. 

"I've told you enough stories in my time. Now it's your turn to return the favor, Samus." She sighed. 

"Grr... oh, all right, fine." Samus finally agreed. "Well, I'm sure you've all heard about what Metroids look like. But in actuality, that's only their baby form. If you think they're ugly enough, you should see what happens when they start growing up..." 

*** 

"State rank, name and ID code." The computer ordered. The man standing in front of the door didn't flinch. 

"Commander Mark Todar. ID code 129113." The machine hummed for a moment as it analyzed his voice, then the doors opened. 

"Welcome, Commander Todar. You have nine new messages." The Federation Officer walked into his office and sat behind his desk, then began going through the messages that had arrived while he was out. 

"Telemarketer... telemarketer... an authorization for high-grade weapons to Planet EV-42... telemarketer... the Newsletter... telemarketer... telemarketer... telemarketer-I thought this was supposed to be a secure address, dammit... aaand some news about a Magani Officer who got iced." Deleting two-thirds of his messages, Todar opened up the Authorization. "Let's see here... what do they need them fo-oh, bloody hell." He made a disgusted noise. "It's just another frackin' clan war sugarcoated. I HATE Evirs. Denied. Denied denied denied, and there it is in triplicate. Do NOT let those maniacs get their hands on Super Missiles just to blow each other up because somebody accidentally stepped into somebody else's clan's waters. Somebody really needs to give the Evirs a lesson in reality. OY." 

"Acknowledged." The computer responded pleasantly. "Authorization 3984732 denied." Todar nodded. 

"All right. Now, the Newsletter..." He rolled his eyes, then looked over at the computer's sound receivers. "Hey, computer. I'll bet you 500 that there's nothing in there I don't already know." 

"Command unfamiliar." The machine responded smoothly. "Please reiterate." Todar just sighed and covered his face with one hand. 

"Forget it." As it turned out, he had been right; the Newsletter didn't contain a single scrap of information that was new to him. Deleting it as well as the annoying Authorization, the Commander opened the first of his two remaining messages. "Okay, what do we have here... the Commander of Magani, Derrick Girsh, was killed three days ago. The killer was a Lorkian named Swueelb. Due to the crudity of the attack, it is believed that it was a spur-of-the-moment decision on Swueelb's part, and not a planned assasination." He frowned and shook his head disapprovingly. "Well, that's no excuse not to track him down straight away. Can't let those bums think they can get away with gunning Federation Officers down, even for a second... wait, what's this? Swueelb was recently apprehended by Samus Aran, and brought in to the Magani station alive..." Todar leaned back in his chair. "Oog. I suppose I really did ask for that. That lady is entirely too dangerous. Even when the majority of her weapons and power suit upgrades are confiscated, she still manages to catch Swueelb that fast, and alive no less..." His frown deepened. "Yes, far too dangerous. I believe we're going to have to do something fairly serious about that young lady sooner or later..." 

"Commander, there is an incoming message." His computer announced. "It is from Space Station Ceres... it appears to be a status report on the last of the Metroids." The Officer broke into a grin. 

"Well, well, speaking of which. It's about time I got a status report in from those people... they've certainly had the Metroid for a few days. I wonder what they've been doing with it... well, I suppose that's what this status report is all about." Deleting the murder news, Todar opened his new message from Ceres. 

__

To: Commander Mark Todar of the Galactic Federation, Planet Earth. 

From: Doctor Leonard Olvarey, Head Scientest of Space Station Ceres 

Commander Todar, as you already know, we recently came into possession of the last surviving Metroid. Upon the conclusion of her mission on SR-388, the exinction of the Metroid species, Samus Aran discovered a newborn baby Metroid, which exhibited no violent instincts whatsoever. Instead of destroying it, Miss Aran took the infant Metroid (which she christened Matrix) off of SR-388 with her. She then delivered it to us in the hopes that we could find some way to use it for the good of the galaxy, and we began studying it. 

"Yes, I know all of that already." Todar grumbled as he read the message. "Get on with it already, you blabby old coot!" 

_From analyzing Matrix, we have made surprising discoveries. The energy-draining ability of the Metroids can be altered so that they can not only take life force, but give it as well! With this revolutionary discovry, we may be able to completely save hundreds of lives that would otherwise be unsalvagable. The potential is staggering. Medical science may never be the same. All that remains is to devise a method of controlling how much energy is drained from the donor, so that he may give some of his life force without dying..._

"Yeah, very interesting." Todar growled. "The Metroids can be used to help instead of hurt, good of the galaxy, and all that. Very nice. When is he going to get to the important part?" 

_However, I am guessing that you are not interested in hearing what we have discovered sbout the use of Metroids in medical science. Very well. On to what you no doubt condider the more important part of the research. We have examined the Metroid's DNA, and from its cells, we have discovered how the Space Pirates manage to create such a numerous army of Metroids in such a short time, without letting them mature. This is only a conjecture, but... possibly, it seems that if Beta radiation is applied to a Metroid, it will divide by mitosis, splitting into two. The newly created Metroid will have a much faster growth rate. _

"Yes!" Todar's face broke out in a huge grin as he jumped to his feet and began walking around the room, excitedly talking to himself. "Excellent! This is just what we've been looking for... if we can just figure out how to control the Metroids, then we'll finally be able to move on the Far Side and..." He stopped and looked at the message again, then groaned. 

_Unfortunately, this is by no means a perfected process. While the newly-created Metroid gains a substantial increase in their growth rate, the original Metroid is the reverse; its growth slows dramatically. Also, if the Beta radiation process is used too many times, it stands a very high chance of proving fatal to the Metroids, and with only one in existence, such a risk is highly dangerous. A much more fruitful option would be cloning, but such a process is still highly experimental. We will contact you as soon as we know more. _The message ended. 

"Crap!" Todar yelled, kicking his chair. "I KNEW it was too good to be true..." Letting loose a few more curse words, he sat back down. "Looks like we'll just have to wait some more... well, we've managed to keep the peace with the Far Side for years now. A few more won't kill us... and then..." He laughed. 

*** 

It was several hours later into the night, and most of the patrons had either left or drunken themselves into unconsciousness. Samus Aran appeared to be moving towards the latter path; she was still sitting in front of the counter, slumped forward. Horzat was nearby on the other side of the counter, polishing a glass. 

"Hey, Horzat..." Samus raised her head. The old Zebesian looked at her. 

"Yeah?" 

"Have you ever had to do something where you weren't sure if it was the right thing to do? Something where even after you did it, you still wondered if it was correct, if you hadn't screwed up?" Horzat put the glass down and looked at her, very seriously. 

"You're asking me, Samus? The Pirate Traitor? Yeah, I've done things like that. Plenty of them while working for the Pirates; and then the big one. When I made the decision to switch sides after Tarna was killed. Yeah, I've made my share of nasty choices, and no, they don't get easier as time goes on. The might-have-beens will keep on following you until the day you die." 

"Well, that's just great. Absolutely peachy." Samus laughed bitterly. "So how do you handle it?" Horzat sighed. 

"You have to realize that, for better or for worse, the choice has already been made, and it can't be changed now. Dwelling on the past will kill you if you let it. You've got to move on with your life, leave your demons behind. There's nothing else to be done. I'm sure if you think about it for a bit, you'll understand what I'm talking about." Samus smiled and nodded. 

"Yeah, I suppose I do... thanks, Horzat." The Zebesian didn't say anything, stepping out from behind the counter and walking over to Falcon, who was sprawled across a table, snoring. "Moving on... yeah, I should. There was something..." She pulled a CD out. "When I turned in Swueelb, the Federation guys gave me this... said it was some Bounty that wasn't out yet, and seemed to think it would interest me... hey, can I...?" 

"Oh, sure." Horzat kicked Falcon into a corner and stumped back over, taking the CD and inserting it in a slot below his computer. As it loaded, he hissed in surprise and stepped back, eye glowing red. Samus frowned. 

"What is it?" 

"An old... friend." Horzat spat on the floor. "Hey, Samus, if you let me print out this picture, I'll let you have drinks for free for a month... I've wanted him on a dartboard for a long time now." Standing up, Samus slowly moved towards him and the computer. 

"What are you-" She fell silent as she saw the picture on the screen. It was a massively fat reptilian Iz with a vertical row of spikes on his abdomen. He was bald. 

Name: Kraid 

Bounty: 1000000 (Dead) 2000000 (Alive) 

Wanted For: Space Piracy Grand, Murder, Battery, Thuggery, Mass Destruction, Illegal Chemical Usage, Illegal Technology Usage, Organized Crime 

Species: Iz 

Dossier: One of the leaders of the Space Pirates, Kraid is the Mother Brain's left-hand man. He is brutal, cruel, and much more intelligent than a normal Iz. Along with Ridley and Mother Brain, Kraid was believed killed by the bounty hunter Samus Aran in the Zebes Disaster several years ago, but Ridley's reappearance has proven this is not to be relied upon. Several sightings gave rise to suspicions which were confirmed when a freshly-used tube of the illegal Pirate steroid Sys-Gro was found with his cells on it on Galron, where the Space Pirates have been known to frequent. Kraid is the head scientest of the Space Pirates, and has found many brilliant but deadly discoveries. Kraid has also been known to use illegal cloning technology to produce duplicates of himself. Dangerous enough normally, his apparent use of Sys-Gro makes Kraid a very hazardous target. Only experienced bounty hunters should attempt taking him down. 

Last Seen: Galron 

Home Planet: I 

"Kraid..." Samus muttered. "Wasn't he the one who-" 

"Killed Tarna, yeah." Horzat said, glaring at the Bounty with undisguised hatred. "I thought you told me you had returned the favor when you attacked Zebes to stop the Metroid Plan." 

"I also fragged Ridley there, and he came back on Tallon IV." Samus reminded him. "Kraid's a bastard, but his technology's years beyond the Federation's." 

"No surprise there." Horzat grumbled. "The Federation is full of incompetents. All except for that one guy, what was his name...? Adam? Yeah, Adam Malkovich. He was a good fella; arranged for my pardon after I told them about the Metroid Plan. And wasn't he the one who brought you in on that too?" 

"Yeah." 

"Thought so. How's he doing these days?" 

"He... died, I'm afraid." Samus said shortly. "It was quite sudden." Horzat lowered his head. 

"I'm sorry." Samus didn't respond; she just sat back down at the counter and drank some more. Horzat didn't speak again either, going back to wiping cups. Neither of them talked again until Midnight. That was when the Space Pirate's assassination attempt took place. 

"DIE, DAMNED HUNTER!" A voice screeched as the front window of Horzat's exploded inward. Samus jumped back against the wall, next to Horzat, who had swiftly removed the bottom of his cane to reveal a hidden sword. From the smoking remnants of the window, five Zebesians stepped forward, clad in red. Horzat cursed. 

"Those are G-Level! They're very heavily armored!" 

"And me with barely any armament!" Samus groaned. Horzat quickly removed the crystal orb from the top of his cane and tossed it to her, then pointed the empty socket at the lead asassin. A very powerful explosive projectile rocketed out and hit the pirate in the chest, killing him. The other four stared. 

"That was..." 

"A Super Missile." Horzat grinned evilly. "Come on, boys... I got more." For a moment, it looked like the Pirates were going to bolt, until the smartest one realized something. 

"Hey, that cane's not big enough for a full Super Missile launcher! It must be a one-shot! He's bluffing!" 

"Ah, shaddup!" Samus yelled, jumping in front of him. His eyes widened, and he pointed his claw blaster at her. As the Pirate was about to fire, Samus jammed the crystal orb from the cane into said claw. The explosion claimed that entire side of him. Samus whistled. "Bomb?" 

"Yup." Horzat agreed as he fired his own claw blaster at a third Pirate. "Whoa, look out!" Samus whirled to see the fourth Pirate standing in the corner, about to fire. As he did, though, a blue-armored hand grabbed his foot, sending his blast astray. 

"You people make too much noise!" Falcon complained as he clambered to his feet. "Can't a guy get any sleep?" He fired a Missile at the Pirate, who just cackled and took the hit without any damage. "What the hell?!" 

"SUPER Missiles, idiot!" Samus yelled. Falcon's face brightened. 

"Oh yeah!" This time, the projectile killed his opponent. Horzat was trading shots with the third Pirate. The Pirate was surprised to discover that a Zebesian's claw-blasters were actually located in the arm, as demonstrated by the blistering bolts emitted from Horzat's left stump. What he had thought was crippled, easy prey was matching him bolt for bolt. Then, the Pirate discovered something that REALLY surprised him. Horzat had a THIRD blaster in his peg leg. The shot from there caught him completely off guard and took him full in the face. As he stumbled back, the fifth Pirate jumped Horzat, grabbing him from behind. 

"Any last words, traitor?" The asassin hissed. Horzat nodded grimly, flipping his eyepatch up. 

"Yeah... you don't want to do that." His captor recoiled in surprise; in the barkeep's empty eye socket, a Power Bomb was revealed. One of the most powerful weapons known, if it was set off or damaged, the entire bar and everybody in it would be destroyed, except Samus, whose Chozo power suit was somehow immune to the things. Taken aback, the Pirate didn't fire, and that moment of hesitation was all that was needed. Sneaking behind him, Samus returned his own trick, grabbing the Pirate's neck in a metal-clad armlock. He struggled for a moment, and she brutally snapped his neck. The last Zebesian remaining looked at the angry faces of his three opponents, then screamed and ran outside, down the street. 

"Well, that was exhilirating." Falcon commented, surveying the bar. "Smashed up your place pretty bad, though, Horzat." He looked at the corpses. "What's the going rate on ordinary G-Level Pirates again, Samus?" She thought for a moment. 

"Dead? 20000. That's 20000 for you, 20000 for Horzat, and 40000 for me." 

"Excuse me?" Horzat blinked, covering his eye socket with the patch again. "Now, I know I didn't hear that one right. That last one is MINE." 

"Yeah, right." Samus snorted. "You've gone senile. I was the one who broke his neck, Horzat." 

"Which you never would have been able to do if I hadn't froze him up by showing him my little replacement eye!" The Zebesian countered. 

"You'd be DEAD if you hadn't done that." She reminded him. Horzat shook his head. 

"Doesn't matter. Point's still the same. And besides..." He gestured around with his good claw. "I'm gonna need the cash to fix this place up from the fight." 

"He's got a point, Samus." Falcon agreed. The female Bounty Hunter glared at them both, then threw up her hands. 

"Fine, whatever. I've got more important things to worry about anyways." Falcon frowned. 

"Such as?" 

"Use your head, Falcon." She snapped. "This wasn't just some random attempt. Five G-Levels can only mean one thing; the Space Pirates are back up to power, and they're trying something. We knew this would happen eventually. And with Pirates, that something is obvious." 

"The Metroid?" Horzat guessed. Samus nodded. 

"Got it in one. I'm going back to Space Station Ceres and see what's going on with Matrix. He's the only Metroid left in existence; they're going to be moving on him." She put her helmet on. "And when they do, I'll be there waiting for them. I'll be seeing you guys around." 

*** 

"Hey, Ridley!" Kraid grinned as his Drakar partner walked into his room in Brinstar, the underground jungles of Zebes. "How ya doing, buddy?" Ridley flew over and gave him a high-five. 

"Excellent, my reptilian compatriat! I just got finished with my briefing from Mom on the assignment she's sending me out on. Only problem is, Ezer and Garan are my teammates on the job, and they're not back from Magani yet. Once those two bums land and go through their own briefing, we can get going and have some... fun." He snickered wickedly. Kraid lumbered over to a computer and punched a few buttons before examining what was onscreen. 

"Looks like you won't have that much longer to wait, Rid. They're coming in right as we speak. Landing in Crateria... now." He shook his head. "Rats. I keep hoping that one of these days a ship will land on top of that worm Phantoon, but no luck so far on that count." 

"Now, Kraid, is that any way to speak about our dear brother Pirate?" Ridley asked mockingly. Kraid snorted. 

"Very funny, Ridley. You know I loathe that one-eyed slimeball, and _I_ know you feel the exact same way about Draygon." 

"Nonesense!" Ridley waved a claw. "Why, just last week I invited him down to Norfair for tea!" 

"Knowing, of course, that the heat would be absolutely intolerable to him." Kraid chuckled. 

"Of course. But then, he had the audacity to accuse me of poisoning the tea!" Ridley shook his head mournfully. Kraid followed suit, but he was still smiling. 

"What a shame. The absolute nerve of that guy. Did you?" 

"Of course not!" Ridley's head shot up. He was smiling. "I poisoned his CUP, not that the tea itself. Pity it didn't work, especially with that new guy coming up. Whazzizname, Crocomire? He'd make a better associate than Draygon. We'd lose the Evir, but they're only useful in water anyways." 

"Eh, it wouldn't change anything anyways." Kraid sighed. "Mom'd just make me revive him." 

"I suppose you're right." Ridley nodded glumly. His friend walked over to a cooler and pulled out a pair of bottles. 

"Let's change the subject; talking about those two isn't my idea of a good way to spend time. Damn, I wish I could come along with you on this mission, if it's as fun as you say it is." 

"Oh, it's going to be fun all right." Ridley's face lit up as he took a bottle and opened it with his claw. "I asked her several times to let you come, but she kept saying no until finally she asked if I'd like her to let Phantoon or Draygon handle this instead. Sorry, but I'm not THAT desperate for your company." 

"It's no problem." Kraid removed his own bottle cap and took a long drink. "You know how she's like once she's made her mind up on something. But hell, she's the boss lady, right? Well, since I can't come along, why don't you at least tell me about what you're going to do on this mission of yours? You've got a bit of time before Ezer & Garan get finished with their briefing anyways." 

"Sounds like a good plan to me." Ridley agreed, drinking from his own bottle and making an approving noise. "This is some good brew, pal. Your home planet makes some damn fine drinks. Now, the mission. Well, here's how it goes..." 


	3. Chapter 2: Grand Theft Metroid

**__**

Chapter 2: Grand Theft Metroid 

"Incoming ship." A technician announced. Dr. Leonard Olvarey, head of Space Station Ceres, frowned upon hearing this. 

"A ship? There's no Federation ships scheduled to come here today..." 

"Excuse me, sir, but it's not a Federation vessel." The technician reported. Olvarey blinked in surprise. 

"It's not? Then why would it come... here... oh, no... is it... the Pirates?" 

"..." The technician was motionless for a moment, and then he shook his head. "Negative." Olvarey let out a sigh of relief. "It looks like a Bounty Hunter... it's Samus Aran." 

"Samus Aran..." The doctor's frown stayed on his face. "What is she doing here? She has no business here, no reason to come here..." 

"Er..." A young lady spoke up. "Dr. Olvarey, as you might recall, Samus Aran was promised regular visiting time with the... with Matrix." 

"Well, yes..." Olvarey grudgingly conceded, stroking his beard. "That is true, Shelly. She did say she doubted that she would be using it, though..." 

"Perhaps she changed her mind." Shelly suggested. "At any rate, she's here now, right, Tom?" The technician nodded. 

"That's right. Samus's ship is moving towards docking bay 7. Docking... now." He looked up. "Are you going to go greet her, Doctor Olvarey?" 

"I suppose so." The white-haired doctor rose from his chair. "Shelly, Tom, you two come along too. We must keep up appearances, after all." As he walked on and the others fell into step behind him, Shelly pointed at the doctor's back and rolled her eyes heavenward. Tom smiled and nodded. Before long, the three of them reached docking bay seven. A moment later, Samus Aran emerged from her ship and hopped down, removing her helmet. 

"Hello. Dr... Olvarey, was it?" 

"Yes, yes..." The doctor nodded, shaking her hand. "Miss Aran. It is good to see you again. If I may ask, what brings you here?" 

"Oh, not much..." Samus smiled. "Just thought I'd check up and see how Matrix was doing... is the research coming along well?" 

"Yes, very well." Olvarey cleared his throat as the four of them walked down a hall. "We have been studying Matrix almost nonstop ever since you delivered it to us. By doing so, we have made some fascinating discoveries. I'm sure you are aware of the Metroid's ability to drain the life force from other creatures?" 

"Oh, yes." Samus confirmed. "I definately know about that... blasted things dented up my power suit." 

"Well, upon study, we found that if used properly, a Metroid may transfer life force TO a person instead!" Olvarey's eyes shone with excitement. "A transfer of pure life force from a healthy person to one near death could save hundreds of lives!" 

"Okay, what's the catch?" Samus demanded. "There's always a catch." Olvarey sighed as the group climbed down some stairs. 

"Unfortunately, right now there is no way to control how MUCH life force is drained from a donor. Giving a little of your life force is on thing, but dying for a donation? It won't be very popular at all. We'll need to devise some way of controlling the Metroid before we can apply this." 

"I see..." Samus murmured. Olvarey stopped outside the door to the bridge. 

"I'm afraid I have pressing business to attend to right now. Shelly and Tom will be able to help you from now on." He strode off importantly. As soon as he was gone, Shelly and Tom both made rude noises. Samus raised an eyebrow. 

"I take it you're not fond of your boss?" 

"That's putting it mildly." Shelly growled. "He's a grade-A Federation flunky. Reports to them every week." She glanced at Tom, who nodded once. "There's something else you should know, Samus." 

"Oh?" The bounty hunter asked, looking at the pair of grim faces. 

"Yeah." Tom said. "Olvarey's up to something with Matrix. Every night he spends a few hours in there with it alone, and nobody else is allowed in on penalty of getting kicked off the station. He claims he's trying to get it to think of all humans as friends, but if that's true I'm an Evir's uncle. Everybody here knows he's running some kind of top-secret experiment for the head boys in the Federation, and you know politicians-it's probably not for the good of the Galaxy." 

"Thank you." Samus's voice was steely. "I'm glad you told me about this. I think once I'm done here, I'll go have a chat with some Federation people. I'm sure we'll have lots of things to talk about." Shelly and Tom grinned viciously. 

"Give 'em some cuss words for us." Shelly told her. "Now, is there anything else we can do for you?" 

"Yes, actually." The bounty hunter's voice softened. "Do you suppose... you could let him out for a little? So I can play with him or something?" The two scientests looked at each other. 

"He does need some exercise..." Tom muttered. Shelly nodded in agreement. 

"He's been wriggling about a lot lately. I think it would be good for him." 

"But Olvarey'd skin us alive if he found out." Tom frowned. "The loser has absolutely no idea how to handle lifeforms." 

"That's if he finds out." Shelly reminded him. "He's probably off in his room reminding himself how important he is, and we don't have any other squealers onboard. Everybody else knows how to keep quiet." 

"True... aw, hell with it. Okay." Tom looked at Samus. "We'll clear out the bridge. I'm sure he won't hurt you, but the rest of us would prefer not to take that chance. We don't have any armor; we'd die instantly." 

"I understand." Samus smiled. Tom and Shelly went into the bridge, and Samus leaned against a wall to wait. A few minutes later, they came back out. 

"All clear. Go on in. As soon as you're in, we'll seal all the exits for an hour, then open the container. When that hour's up, make sure he's back in the correct spot when the container reseals, okay?" 

"No problem." Samus agreed, walking past them. The bridge of Space Station Ceres was a low-ceilinged room filled with computers and chairs. At the front of the room was a particularly ornate seat-Olvarey's, Samus noted with a snort of amusement. And in the center, held in a container of what looked like glass but was really a transparent mineral from Draconis that was harder than any metal known, was a small, green creature that looked like a jellyfish with pincers. Matrix, the last Metroid. Seeing her, he began making an excited chirping noise. Behind Samus, the doors sealed, and the container dropped, releasing Matrix. Immediately, he flew towards her. 

"Hey, Matrix." Samus held out her hand to the Metroid, who was flying circles around her head, chirping wildly. "How you doing here?" The chirping increased, and she laughed. "Yeah, I'm glad to see you too. I hope you're not too angry at me for leaving you here; I know it's not SR-388." Matrix settled down on her outstretched hand, being careful not to accidentally pierce her armor with his fangs, and his chirping slowed to a more steady rate. "I'll take that as an 'okay.' I suppose you want to hear about what your buddy Samus had been doing since I dropped you off here?" The Metroid quivered. "I thought so! Well, I went to visit Horzat... you remember me telling you about him, right? Former Space Pirate, bartender? Yeah, him. Well, like I said, I went to see him... problem is, some other unexpected guests showed up..." 

*** 

"YOU SLAGBRAINED SONOFABITCH, I"LL KILL YOU!" Kraid screamed, struggling to break free of Ridley's restraining grasp. 

"I'll take you up on a fight any day, fatass!" Draygon hissed back, similarly held by Phantoon. The Elocto looked at Ridley frantically. 

"Do you have any idea what's going on here?" 

"Not a clue." Ridley replied smoothly. "But whatever it is, it's got Kraid ready to tear Draygon's arms off and feed them to him, and your boy doesn't look that much calmer. Let's hustle 'em in to Mom before they start throwing us at each other." Putting aside their mutual enmity for the moment, the Draker and the Elocto forced their berserk comrades through Tourian into Mother Brain's room. The Pirate Queen surveyed the situation. 

"What on Zebes are you DOING? Kraid, why are you so enraged?" 

"Draygon... he..." Kraid sputtered. "He expanded Maridia into Brinstar! The tunnel connecting my Lair to the rest of Brinstar is completely submerged!" Mother Brain glared at her Evir underling. 

"Draygon, is this true?" She demanded. 

"It was an accident." Draygon defended himself. "As you know, part of Maridia is over Kraid's Lair, and the section over that tunnel... the rock seperating them just gave way, collapsed, and the water poured in. A complete fluke." 

"Very well." Mother Brain growled. "This is what we will do. Ridley, has that shipment of Galdezium arrived from your planet yet?" Ridley nodded. 

"Yes indeed, Milady. It arrived just a couple hours ago." 

"Very well." She said. "Turn it over to Draygon. Draygon, you will have your clan members construct a tube-tunnel of Galdezium that connects Kraid's Lair with the remainder of Brinstar, through where the old tunnel used to be. There will be no further discussion of this, no more arguing, and NO death threats! Is that absolutely clear?" She glared at them all until they muttered agreements. "Good. Now then, on to more useful topics. Kraid, have you managed to persuade those Etecoons to teach our Zebesians the Wall Jump yet?" The portly Iz frowned and shook his head. 

"I'm afraid not. They're being stubborn little creeps... refuse to even talk with the translator. I've got them locked away in a shaft in Brinstar for now." He chuckled evilly. "If they don't agree to work for us soon, I'm going to start... persuading them. I've got a number of interesting... experiments... that need test subjects, and those three are starting to look like prime targets to me. If they keep on refusing much longer, they'll wish they'd never been born." 

"You sure you want to do that, Kraid?" Draygon questioned his colleague. "We all know I'm the best torturer in the Galaxy. Why don't you turn them over to me? I can guarantee I'll have them screaming for mercy within just a few days." Kraid's eyes flashed in anger. 

"Butt out, Draygon. I can handle this fine, and I need guinea pigs. Stick to your own business, and be thankful I'm letting you live for encroaching into my territory." 

"You'll have your own guest soon, Draygon." Mother Brain told the Evir. "We've captured another Far Sider with special abilities; a Dachura. They'll be bringing him here soon. Once he's arrived, I want you to do whatever it takes to have him teach out Zebsians the Dachura Ultra Jump." Draygon grinned viciously. 

"Anything?" 

"Anything and everything." She agreed. "Just get it done." She looked at Ridley. "Ezer and Garan are waiting for you up in Crateria, Ridley. They've got the ship you'll be taking ready. Get up there and get moving; I want you back with it by tomorrow. Understood?" 

"Of course, Milady." Ridley smiled. "I shall follow your orders to the very letter, and woe betide those who attempt to interfere." He flexed his claws. 

"Good." Mother Brain turned away from her lieutenants. "You're all dismissed." As they filed out, Ridley silently slapped a bullseye onto Phantoon's back without the Elocto noticing. Kraid laughed. 

"Good one, Rid. Some dull-witted Zebesian's sure to take a shot at him." 

"That was what I had in mind." The Drakar agreed. "I would have slapped it on Draygon-lord knows I hate him more-but he's unfortunately more sensitive to touch, and he'd know." Kraid shook his head. 

"Pity. Normally, I'd go for Phantoon myself, but..." He left it hanging. 

"You're still pissed about that so-called 'accidental collapse' into your territory?" Ridley supplied. The Iz nodded. "Well, then... I think I may have a way of payback." 

"Really?" Kraid asked. "What?" 

"Well, it goes like this..." Ridley leaned over to whisper in his partner's ear. As he talked, Kraid slowly began smiling, and it grew wider and wider until he cackled loudly and did a little dance. 

"Oh, that's PERFECT! I'm sure he'll know what happened, but he'll never be able to prove it! He'll be frothing at the mouth! You're a genius, Rid!" Ridley shrugged. 

"What can I say? I'm gifted in the art of coming up with creative ways to torment my enemies." 

"Nicely said." 

"I also have a way with words." He grinned cheekily as they took the elevator up to Crateria. "Now, where are those two thugs..." Crawling through the tunnels, the two Space Pirate Leaders emerged onto the planet's surface. Ridley winced as he was sprayed with water. "Raining. Again. As always. Goddammit, is it ALWAYS raining on this stupid planet?!" 

"95% of the time." Kraid supplied helpfully. Ridley glared at him, but didn't comment. Up ahead, leaning against the side of a spacecraft, were a pair of Zebesians. Their exoskeletons were completely coated with a metallic shine. Upon seeing Kraid and Ridley, they got up and walked over. 

"Master Ridley. Master Kraid." The first said as they both bowed. Ridley nodded. 

"Ezer, Garan. There you are." Ezer and Garan were twins, the two greatest Zebesian warriors after the fall of the Omega Pirate, Upsilon, on Tallon IV. They were Ridley's personal flunkies, and he had trained them in the same ways of natural physical combat that he himself used. They were incredibly strong, very fast, and almost impossible to kill, although they were still not the brightest bulbs, and remained basically thugs at heart. "Ready to go?" The Drakar stretched. Garan shook his head, and the two of them walked around behind the ship. 

"Not yet, boss. We got something for you first..." When they returned, they were holding a trembling G-Class Zebesian in red armor between them. "This guy's the only survivor of the assassination team we sent after Aran on Magani." Ridley covered his eyes, sighing. 

"I take it the assassination failed?" Ezer nodded. "Great. Just great. Did you at least get that traitor Horzat?" The surviving assassin shook his head. "Oh, lovely. A complete failure. Mom's gonna love to hear about this one." 

"What do you want us to do with this guy, boss?" Garan asked. Ridley shrugged. 

"Kill him. I have no use for cowards." The assassin tried to beg, but as he fell forward, Ezer efficiently lopped his head off. Ridley winced and turned to Kraid. "Oops, sorry, pal. That was inconsiderate of me; you said you needed some lab rats." Kraid waved a claw nonchalantly. 

"Naw, it's okay. I don't like to use Zebesians as test subjects anyways. They tend to explode." Ezer and Garan showed no signs of hearing this. Ridley nodded. 

"Awright then, let's get going. See you later, Kraid." The Drakar and the two Zebesians got into the spacecraft, then took off. Kraid watched the ship go until it was lost from view, then stomped away, brain working madly on his little surprise for that stupid Draygon... 

*** 

"...So I just punched him right in the midsection, and he went down like a poleaxed cow!" Samus laughed, and Matrix chirped, not really understanding that much but glad that she was so happy. "I turned him in for a nice bounty. Stupid git deserved it." A red light flashed on her wrist, and she sighed. "Aw, dammit. Looks like our time's up... sorry, Matrix. You gotta go back in your container now..." Sadly, she picked the Metroid up and placed him on the correct spot, and the Galdezium container sealed it in once more. The doors around the room opened, and the scientests walked in, returning to their stations. Tom and Shelly came towards Samus. 

"Did he have fun?" Shelly asked. Samus nodded, smiling. 

"Yeah, he did. I think the little guy thinks I'm his mother or something... he's never even seen another one of his species in his life, let alone the Queen. He didn't hatch until every other one was... you know." 

"Yeah." Shelly glanced over at Matrix, who had decided to go to sleep. "He's actually kind of cute, you know. I hope we succeed in making him-and his eventual kids-beneficial to the galaxy." She frowned as a sudden thought crossed her mind. "They are asexual, aren't they?" 

"To my knowledge, yes." Samus assured her. 

"Good." Tom grinned. "We'd be in trouble if he started getting horny." Samus rolled her eyes. 

"Har har. Any trouble with Olvarey?" 

"None at all." Shelly shook her head. "He's in his room watching a porno movie. Creep. I hope he retires soon and somebody who's actually good at their job takes over here." 

"Well then, everything seems fine here, so I'll be going now." Samus walked towards the door. "If I stop by the Federation, I'll see if I can pull a few strings about that." Tom nodded. 

"Hey, thanks. We appreciate it. See ya!" He and Shelly waved goodbye. Samus made it back to her ship without incident and took off into space. Once she was clear of the Station, the bounty hunter put it on Autopilot, then went into the back and removed her power suit. As she got a drink out of a small cooler, she looked into a small mirror and groaned. 

"Not again!" Samus' Chozo Power Suit was the finest in the galaxy. It could incorporate technology other Power Suits couldn't even touch, and it was one-of-a-kind. It was also highly variable, and the way it incorporated weapons systems changed their effects often, which always helped get the jump on the Space Pirates. There was only one, odd downside: her hair. For some inexplicable reason, the color of her hair was affected by the power suit, and about once a year it would change. This time, her locks were now a light purple. She sighed. 

"Well, at least it's unique..." Samus flopped down onto her bed and turned on her computer. "Let's see what Pirate Bounties are up..." She accessed the bounty database, and began flipping through them. Kraid's bounty hadn't been put up yet, of course. As the bounties passed by, she saw something interesting. "Wait. Go back one." The screen complied, returning to an insect-like Evir whose bulging head crest had been grotesquely warped so that it looked like human skulls were embedded in it. She winced. "That must have REALLY hurt..." 

Name: Draygon 

Bounty: 800000 (Dead) 1000000 (Alive) BONUS: Double pay this week! 

Wanted For: Space Piracy Grand, Kidnapping, Torture, Blackmail, Murder, Illegal Chemical Usage, Organized Crime. 

Species: Evir 

Dossier: Draygon is one of the leaders of the Space Pirates, and along with his partner Phantoon, steered the Pirates towards Tallon IV in the aftermath of the Zebes Disaster. Even before the Pirates enlisted him Draygon often worked with Phantoon, but his preference was for kidnapping and torture. After his demands have been satisfied, Draygon's victims normally turn up dead. Draygon is his clan leader, and following Evir law his clanmembers are also current members of the Space Pirates. Draygon is also a known user of the illegal steroid Sys-Gro. If you should encounter Draygon and wish to go for the "Dead" bounty (recommended), electricity is highly suggested. Above all, do NOT pursue Draygon underwater. 

Last Seen: Galron 

Home Planet: EV-42 

"Whoo..." Samus smiled, sitting back. "I LIKE the sound of that double bonus... that's 2 million if I get him alive. Wonder what he did to get that... must've pissed off some high-ranking Federation Officer. Exactly the same as Kraid's, except Draygon's only good for a week. I may have to let Kraid slide for a little bit to get this guy in time... even though Kraid would be a much more personal bounty... decisions, decisions." She glanced out the window. Another ship was flying towards her; it looked like a Drakar vessel. She lazily looked away, then snapped back as she realized it wasn't making any movements to avoid her! And the Autopilot wasn't designed to cope with such deliberate stupidity under its current setting! Cursing, Samus lunged back into the cockpit and slammed the controls to the side. Her ship lurched aside as the Drakar vessel shot past, scraping her paint. Shaking her head to clear out the stars that swam before her eyes, Samus glared after it as it quickly disappeared. 

"Whoever was driving that was either REALLY drunk... or they were trying to hit me on purpose." She talked to herself as she put the ship on Autopilot again, with instructions to avoid any oncoming ships this time, then returned to the back. "Another attempt by the Pirates, maybe? No, they would have swung around for another try... unless they had somewhere else to be..." She shook her head. "Ah, I'm jumping at straws. It was probably just some bum who had had too much alcohol." She flopped back onto her bed again. 

"So, Draygon or Kraid. I've never met Draygon personally... or Phantoon. One would think that would lean towards Kraid... but come to think of it, I probably should go say hi to those two." She smiled darkly. "A meeting with Draygon is long overdue, and from what Horzat told me, where you find Draygon, you'll find Phantoon too. Done, then." She yawned and stretched. "Later, though. It's been a busy few days... a hot shower and some good sleep sounds really good right now, especially since the aftereffects of that Boris Yeltsin I had at Horzat's should be kicking in soon. With luck, I'll sleep right through it. Then I'll find Draygon-and hopefully, Phantoon too-and tell them just what I think of that little assassination attempt back at Horzat's." Leaping off the bed, she took a nightshirt out of her closet to wear after her shower and walked into the bathroom. Although she was on the ship alone and there was no way anybody else could intrude, Samus always closed and locked the door behind her. 

"Probably from the time I spent with the Chozo..." She chuckled as she removed the black tank top and shorts she wore under her Power Suit; any more clothing and she'd overheat in that thing. "They were really nice folks, but oy, were they prissy." The bounty hunter stepped into the shower, turning the water on high and sighing as the hot liquid hit her skin. "Oh, that feels good..." Steam quickly filled the small room, and before long she was completely hidden from view. 

*** 

"Ahem, ahem." Dr. Olvarey walked back onto the bridge, fussily straightening the tie he always wore with his labcoat, a piece of apparel which earned him a great deal of derision from the other scientests at Ceres. "Shelly? Tom? Where is miss Aran?" Shelly turned to her boss. 

"She left, Dr. Olvarey. We told her more about the possibilities for medical technology, and she seemed very pleased. We chatted a little about our jobs, and then she left." Dr. Olvarey nodded and sat down in the command chair he usually occupied. 

"Good. Now then, about those experiments. Have we yet managed to discover any possible way of controlling Matrix?" Tom shook his head. 

"Afraid not, boss. He's not responding to any of our attempts to communicate one bit. At present, Samus Aran is still the only being that Matrix is confirmed to be non-agressive towards." Olvarey slammed his fist down on the arm of his chair in frustration. 

"Damn! Still nothing! We need to find a way, people. Otherwise, the Federation will be VERY unhappy with us. Particularly since they don't exactly trust miss Aran all that much..." 

"Excuse me?" Shelly glanced up from her staation in surprise. "What do you mean, they don't trust her? She's saved the galaxy from the Space Pirates twice, and made sure they'll never get their claws on more Metroids ever again! What's not to trust after all of that?" Olvarey coughed, uncomfortable. 

"Well, miss Aran isn't a Federation officer. She's a loose cannon, a bounty hunter operating mainly on her own interests. The Federation has no way of controlling her whatsoever aside from payments, and those are hardly to be relied on. Samus Aran has proven to be a warrior beyond anything the galaxy has seen before. If she decided that her interests were different from those of the Federation, and went against them, then we would all be in a great deal of trouble. Especially if she brought Matrix-and possibly his children as well-along with her. I shudder to think of the absolute chaos that could be caused by such an event..." 

"She wouldn't do that." Shelly told him confidently. "Samus is a good person... she's pretty intimidating, yeah, but she has a kind heart. There's no way she would turn on the Federation just to meet her own needs." 

"Really?" Olvarey looked amused. "My, aren't we presumptuous. You met miss Aran for what, a little more than an hour? And you think you know her better than the Federation. Are we trying to be a psychologist now, Shelly?" Shelly bit her lip, knowing she couldn't tell Olvarey about what she had seen; the way Samus had acted around Matrix, the way she had talked with the little Metroid, played with him, made sure he was doing all right... the look in the hardened bounty hunter's eyes when she watched the infant blob of goo... no, telling Olvarey that would mean revealing that she and the others had let Matrix out to play with Samus, and that would cause a great deal of trouble, possibly even getting them dismissed. Shelly looked downward. 

"...I suppose you're right. I guess I was guessing too much, trying to look too much into things. Just... forget it, okay? Forget I said anything." Olvarey chuckled, still amused by the whole thing. 

"My dear, consider it officially forgotten. Wait, what were we talking about again? I can't remember." He laughed at his own joke, and everybody else chuckled politely for a couple seconds before returning to their work. Olvarey harrumphed and began going through some papers. Work continued as normal for Space Station Ceres for about an hour; then Olvarey looked up from his work, checked a clock, and cleared his throat to get everybody's attention. 

"Ahem... I believe it is about five o' clock again, and time to leave. I'm going to be conducting the solitary friendship exercises with the Metroid again now, so please exit. Feel free to have dinner and take a couple hours off until eight. There's nothing vitally important to the safety of the galaxy going on right now except for the Metroid here, after all." He smiled. Tom glanced at his screen for a moment, then immediately directed his full attention to it. 

"Er, that's a negative, sir. We have another incoming vessel towards here; ETA five minutes." Olvarey scowled. 

"What? Why on Earth would another ship be coming in this soon after Aran? Two unplanned visits in such a short time... very odd indeed." He thought for a moment. "What type of vessel is it?" Tom looked at the scans. 

"It appears to be a Drakar Seeker-Class Gunship, sir. A Gurtin XI by the looks of it, although that's not confirmed; it appears to be heavily modified by the owner, whoever he is, with some definately odd parts." 

"A Drakar ship..." Olvarey murmured, mind racing. "I've heard that recently, a Drakar was promoted to quite a high rank within the Federation... could that be him? Maybe he's come here on a surprise inspection?" He nodded. "Yes, that's got to be it. There's no other explanation." The white-haired doctor wished he was really as confident as he sounded. 

"So, whatcha gonna do, Doc?" Tom asked. "Gonna go down there and meet him?" Olvarey sighed. 

"Yes, I suppose I had better... go ahead and give him clearance to land in Docking Bay Seven. You two, come on down with me." He gestured at a pair of scientests. "We need to keep up appearances, after all." The three of them walked through Ceres at a fast clip, and arrived right as the Drakar ship arrived. The doors began to open, and the three scientests stepped up, Olvarey smiling widely. "Hello, and welcome to-" He saw the threat in time by a millisecond and dived backward onto his rear as the blistering energy ray whizzed over his head. The other two scientests were not so lucky; the beams pierced their skulls and they fell over, dead on the spot. From inside the ship, a noise came. Somebody in there... was clapping. 

"Excellent reflexes, old man! Looks like that stereotype about all scientests being out of shape is officially dead!" The speaker walked out, revealing himself as a lean Drakar with an evil grin on his face. Flanking him were a pair of Zebesians with shiny metallic exoskeletons. The one on the left looked up at the Drakar. 

"You want us to kill him?" 

"Of course not, Ezer!" The Drakar reprimended him. "Our friend here was good enough to avoid the first shot. He's earned a chance at living to see tomorrow by settling this diplomatically." 

"Who are you?" Olvarey demanded. The Drakar slapped himself in the forehead, still smiling. 

"Silly me! Allow me to introduce us. My name... is Ridley. These are my associates, Ezer and Garan." 

"Space Pirates..." The aged doctor whispered in horror. Ridley cackled. 

"Got it in one, buddy! You are hot tonight! Since you're being so cooperative, I'll make this nice and easy for you in return." The Drakar stopped laughing, bent over and glared into Olvarey's eyes, all traces of humor suddenly gone from his face. "We're here... for the Metroid." 

*** 

Samus was dreaming. Everything was swirling around in bizarre colors and patterns of neon, tie-dye and plaid. Planets and creatures swam by like fish, and she stood on a path of stars in her power suit, with Matrix hovering nervously over her shoulder. Samus smiled and stroked the Metroid, reassuring him. But then, in a brown flash, Matrix was gone. She started to turn, then choked as a brown tentacle wrapped around her neck. Chuckling, the owner of the tentacle came into view; an Elocto, holding Matrix in its other appendage. Now she was strapped to a table, her power suit stripped from her. Nearby was another such table; this one held Falcon's dismembered corpse. A green, insectoid Evir with its headcrest altered into the shape of human skulls advanced, cackling. It plunged a syringe into her arm, and the dream world span and span and span. When her head cleared, she was standing next to a huge, rough green blob. Samus looked up and choked; it was the foot of a humongous Iz, the size of a city! It looked down, saw her, and scooped her up, then waddled over to a counter and deposited her in a cage of the sort used for lab rats. A squeaking noise drew her attention to the second cage next to hers, where a giant rat crouched, its back to the bounty hunter. Then it turned, and Samus saw that it had Horzat's head. Screaming in horror, she fell back against the wall of the cage, and through it, into Space Station Ceres. Destruction and death were everywhere; in the place where Matrix had once been held, Shelly, Tom and Olvarey's heads were on stakes. A chuckle from behind made her spin to see a Drakar with a heavily scarred chest standing right in front of the bounty hunter. Samus tried to fire at it, then realized she no longer had her power suit, and was clad only in the tank top and shorts. The Drakar traced a line with a single claw across her belly, just a hair away from slicing her open, and stopped. One twitch, and she would be dead. A familiar noise came from the darkness over the Drakar's shoulder, and Samus gasped; Matrix! Then the Metroid came into view, and she gasped again, this time in horror. The creature's head was adorned with an enormous, pulsating, grotesque brain. The Drakar twitched... 

"YAAAH!" Samus leaped forward, breathing heavily, as she was awakened by sirens. She blinked; her nightgown was soaked with sweat. "What WAS that? And what the HELL is going on here?" Moving into the cockpit, she discovered that the sirens were being caused by an emergency distress signal. "Okay... let's see where it's coming from... probably just some poor stiff who ran out of fuel... what the?!" The signal was coming from Space Station Ceres! "I just came from there! Something's up... I'd better go check this out." Setting the ship to head back to Ceres, she went back and changed into fresh clothes, then got into her power suit. "This is going to be messy, I can tell. I suppose this was bound to happen eventually... more trouble." She chuckled grimly, checking her gun. "Hell, at least it's not boring." Nearing Ceres, Samus saw one of the upper docking bays was wide open. She frowned. "This is looking worse and worse..." She parked her ship and jumped out, looking around. The bay was completely dark; no signs of life. 

"I don't like this." Samus muttered to herself as she descended the system of platforms. "This place gives me the creeps..." Reaching the bottom, she headed through a door into a hall, which was as dark as the docking bay. There were still no signs of life. Emerging from a tunnel into the stairwell that connected all the docking bays, however, finally yielded results. And immediately made Samus wish it hadn't. The dismembered and blasted corpses of scientests littered the stairs, lying on the floor, hanging over edges. Some were covered in fatal burn marks, others looked as if they had been killed by wounds inflicted by huge claws. The entire staircase was soaked in blood, and the stench of death was everywhere. Samus's eyes narrowed grimly and she spat out a single word. 

"Space Pirates." Muttering curses, she strode down to the bottom of the stairwell, stopping for a moment outside the door to the bridge, steeling herself for the carnage that she knew laid within. But the reality of what awaited Samus was far worse than she had imagined. "Oh, god..." She choked the moment she entered. The entire room was covered with dead bodies, forming a horrifying floor. Right in front of her, she recognized Dr. Olvarey. Or at least... part of him. The half of the doctor that remained stretched towards the center of the room; he was running towards it when he had been killed. At a console, Samus saw the remains of Tom, one of the scientests she had met. His hand still rested on a large red button labeled "Emergency Signal." He had been the one to send out the call that had brought Samus here... right before some Pirate had removed the top part of his head for his trouble. None of the others were familar to her, thankfully... wait! One of them was moving! Samus rushed over and bent down next to the young lady, whose head and right arm were all of her body that was visible; the rest was buried under corpses. It was Shelly, the other scientest. As she looked up and Samus and coughed, the Bounty Hunter tried to pull her out. Shelly stopped her. 

"No... don't. It's not a pretty sight... those claws..." She coughed again, this time expelling blood. "I'm done for, Samus... just like the rest of them. Only... a little time... left. Pirates... Space Pirates, three of them. The two... they killed us... slaughtered us all. Tom... Olvarey... everybody. But the leader... he went after... after..." 

"After what?" Samus pressed. Shelly's eyes tracked over her shoulder. 

"After Matrix..." Samus spun, heart sinking, and saw what she had been too preoccupied with all the death to notice earlier. The Galdezium tube at the center of the bridge was smashed and broken. Matrix was gone. "Haven't left yet..." The dying scientest continued. "When they saw what Tom did... went in back... the leader said somthing about waiting for you..." Samus nodded, eyes like ice. 

"They're going to regret that decision very shortly... I promise. It's not much, but I swear I'll avenge all of you. Those butchers will pay for what they've done." Shelly smiled, despite the pain. 

"Thank you... and... please..." She turned her head away. "Shoot... please... make it fast... I don't want to die... slow..." Slowly, Samus put her blaster against the back of Shelly's head, then looked away. She couldn't watch as she fired, once. Without looking down, the Bounty Hunter rose and walked to the back of the room, through the door, and the tunnel behind it. The room she emerged in was pitch-black, not even possessing the dim, indirect light that the other halls had held. The only thing she could see... was Matrix, wiggling in a portable green Galdezium container. Above it, an eye flashed. 

"Now, I think..." The lights turned on, revealing that a purple Drakar held the container. For a moment, Samus thought there had been some mistake, that he was a surviving crew member who had somehow managed to get Matrix away from the Pirates. Then, she saw the creature's heavily scarred chest... the scars that she had inflicted... and she knew. 

"RIDLEY!" 

"SAMUS!" Ridley screeched mockingly in response. "Why, it's been ages! How have you been?" 

"Cut the crap." She snapped. "Were you the one who slaughtered all those scientests?" Ridley recoiled, shock written on every line of his face. 

"ME? Of course not, Samus! Why, I'm offended you would even suggest such a thing!" He grinned evilly, and thumbed over his shoulder at a pair of metallic Zebesians who stood by a computer. "I had them do it. I had more... important prey." The Drakar tossed the container with Matrix in it up and down. "Very cute. The last Metroid... that was very mean of you to kill all his family, Samus. And you were talking about slaughter. Pah. Well, might as well get down to business." He yawned. "Here's the deal. You want your little buddy back? Fine. Beat me, and he's yours." He grinned evilly again. "Of course, I don't think much of your chances with just a Level-1 Power Suit and your Power Beam, but maybe you'll get lucky. Or maybe I'll finally beat you. Only one way to find out, though! En guarde!" Shrieking a war cry, the Drakar warrior launched himself towards his enemy, claws flashing. Cursing, Samus took a pair of slashes on each arm and fired back, straight into Ridley's face. 

"Eat beam, psycho!" She shouted. Each shot that hit left a small scorch mark on Ridley's mug. He blinked, then laughed. 

"Is that all you can do to me?! I forgot how pathetic your plain Power Beam is!" Flying back, he began spitting streams of fire. Samus jumped and spun, avoiding each one, even as it splattered against the walls, returning blasts all the while. "Ah, good! Even if your attacks are laughable, you can avoid mine! This might be fun after all..." Suddenly, he swooped around and speared her right leg on his tail, causing her to cry out and curse in pain. 

"Damn!" 

"Or not." The Drakar sighed. "This is just sad. I'm almost tempted to let you get away so I could kill you in a GOOD fight... but Mom would probably put me through a giant blender if I did. Sorry, Samus, but it looks like your time is finally up!" Wrenching his tail free, he flew back again. "I'll take good care of Matrix for you!" 

"Hey, boss!" Ezer interrupted, calling from the computer he and Garan were sitting at. "We set the place to blow like you said!" 

"Oh?" Ridley spat another stream of fire at Samus. "Well, that's good to-" Suddenly, the Drakar went completely motionless, with a strangled look on his face. He dropped out of the air like a statue and made a few choked grunting noises before slowly turning his head towards his underlings. "You... what?" 

"Set the station to blow." Garan explained. "Just like you told us to right before we found out she was coming here." Ridley looked back towards Samus, scales turning white. 

"Did they just say what I think they said?" Samus had also frozen. 

"Yeah... I'm afraid so..." She moaned. "You two... how long did you set it for?" Ezer and Garan looked at each other for a few seconds until Ridley barked at them to answer the question. Ezer shrugged. 

"About a minute." 

"I see." Ridley nodded. 

"All right." Samus agreed. And then, the bounty hunter and the Drakar screamed simultaneously. "_CRAP!"_ With several more curses in his native tongue, Ridley grabbed the dimwitted underlings in the claw that did not hold Matrix, stretched his wings to their full length and blasted off like a jet-liner. Samus stared after him for a moment, then did an about-face and ran like hell. As she emerged into the outside halls, sirens began blaring and the now-active lights strobed red. She blasted through the bridge, whispering apologies to the dead, and began clambering up the staircase, knocking corpses down. Unfortunately, somehow the alarm system had ruptured some pipes, and blistering steam jets burst out in several places, impeding her progress further. Twice she recieved painful burns from them. When she reached the correct floor, Samus dashed into the hallway that led to her docking bay... and groaned. The entire hall ahead was a mass of blasting steam! 

"Can't be more than thirty seconds left... no time to find another route." She muttered to herself. "Only one way through..." The bounty hunter took a few steps back, then ran and leaped forward, spinning through the steam in one colossal jump. For a moment, everything was white-hot pain... and then relief came, as she landed on the other side, still alive. Samus immediately moved on, not stopping for a moment to check herself; that could come later. She finally emerged into the tall vertical passage that held her ship at the top. But Ceres was breaking down; it was tilting dangerously aside, and the gravity stabilizers weren't working right; Samus' climb was a nightmare of sliding platforms and dangerous falls. "How much time left... how much..." She whispered. The seconds ticked down, seemingly slow as an hour each. Finally, she reached the top and practically flew into her ship. With less than ten seconds remaining, Samus' ship blasted away from Ceres, screaming into space. As it flew off, Samus gazed out a window and watched as Space Station Ceres sparked, tilted, and then exploded in one vast, firey blast that blinded her momentatily. When her vision returned, there was not a trace of the Space Station, and the atrocities that had been committed there, remaining. 

*** 

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?!" Commander Mark Todar of the Galactic Federation screamed at the top of his lungs. His office was silent, offering no response; all of his aides and underlings had long since fled. The furious commander glared around at everything for several moments, knuckles whitening, and whispering quite a few very nasty curse words. Finally, he returned to his computer and read the disturbing message again. There was no way of getting around it; the message was still there. Ten minutes ago, Space Station Ceres had been destroyed. Completely obliterated. There was nothing left. It was that simple statement that had brought Commander Todar to the brink of apoplexy. Slowly, he began to calm down. He could get angry later. Right now, he needed to find out as much as possible about the attack, and who was behind it; obviously Ceres hadn't spontaneously combusted. The most likely choice was obvious, of course; the Space Pirates. But Commander Todar hadn't gotten to his position simply by taking the obvious choice; he knew that he needed more. "Computer, run a check to determine all ships that were within one standard orbital range of Space Station Ceres at the time of its destruction." 

"Acknowledged." The computer responded pleasantly. "Three ships were detected. The first is the Hunter-Class Gunship, the _Chozo_, built by the same. It is licensed to the bounty hunter Samus Aran." 

"Samus Aran?!" Todar exclaimed in surprise. "What would SHE be doing there at that time?" The Federation officer frowned, deep in thought. "The only reason she'd be near Ceres is... Matrix..." A decidedly unpleasant theory was slowly dawning on him. "Samus Aran has been showing an unhealthy level of interest in that Metroid... and she's not a part of the Federation... is it possible that she...?" He shook his head. "Avoid the obvious choice. What about the other two ships, computer?" 

"The second was a Merchant-Class Commercial Ship, the _Eye Of Drihos_, of Elocto design. It's registered to Captain Juntor, a licensed trader with a good reputation and sizable funds." 

"That seems to check out..." Todar muttered. "And the third?" 

"A Seeker-Class Gunship, the _Spacewing_, from the Drakar. The registration is to one of their planet's government officials, Admiral Dilyer." 

"Seems good as well..." Todar's face darkened. "Everything's pointing at Aran... looks like that lady's gone rebel on us..." Then he remembered everything she had done for the Federation, and sighed. "I'll give her the benefit of the doubt one more time, then I'm having her brought in. Computer, scan the database to see if Captain Juntor or Admiral Dilyer have any sort of record with us." He sat back in his chair and awaited the results; however, less than ten seconds had passed before the computer emitted a shrieking blare and a burst of red light, surprising Todar so much that he fell off of his chair. "What the-?" 

"Alert! Alert!" The computer informed him. "File found on Admiral Dilyer in the NOC division!" 

"NOC?" Todar wondered. "The top-secret stuff? What do they have on him?" 

"The file reports that Admiral Dilyer is nonexistent, and in actuality a known alias!" Todar leapt to his feet. 

"Here's the billion-dollar question, machine. Do we know who he really is? Who uses that alias?" 

"Yes." The computer showed a picture of a large Drakar with a heavily scarred chest. "He is the Space Pirate Commander... Ridley!" 

"Ridley?!" Todar accidentally knocked his chair over. "He was reported dead! Slain on Tallon IV by Aran!" 

"He was also reported to be terminated during Samus Aran's infiltration and sabotage of Zebes, before the battle of Tallon IV." The computer reminded him. 'The Space Pirates have a great deal of technology we do not understand, both mechanical and medical, mainly thanks to their chief scientest, Kraid. Considering how far medical technonology has advanced for the general public, it is possible that Kraid has discovered a way to heal and revive lifeforms that have suffered fatal injuries." 

"I suppose that's true..." Todar admitted. "Very well, Ridley has returned. Now, it is apparent that HE is the one behind this crime. Contact the BNT Division, computer. Get me Commander Jargol, immediately. Code 251511159." 

"Acknowledged." The computer was once again silent for several moments as it processed his request. Then, a vidlink opened, showing a rather pudgy, balding officer sitting behind a desk. 

"Commander Todar, what can I do for you?" He greeted Todar nervously. 

"No time for small talk." The angry commander snapped. "The Space Pirates have attacked Space Station Ceres and stolen the Metroid!" 

"WHAT?!" Jargol went pasty white. 

"You heard me. The perpetrator was Ridley; yes, he has returned again. I want a bounty out on him ASAP, and make it at least a million and a half. Computer, did 'Admiral Dilyer' have any other passangers?" 

"...Yes." The computer replied after checking. "Two identical Zebesians, whose exoskeletons were strangely metallic. This matches the description of Ezer and Garan, two specifically wanted Pirates." 

"What are the current bounties on Ezer and Garan?" Todar demanded. Jargol fumbled through some papers. 

"Fifty thousand dead, a hundred grand alive. They hadn't committed any major crimes for a few years now." 

"Double it." Todar ordered him. "And after Ridley's bounty is out, I want you to put out the word that we're going to be doubling again on any and every Pirate Bounty until Matrix is recaptured." Jargol went even paler. 

"Commander Todar, that'll drain the Federation treasury!" 

"That doesn't matter now, you fat fool!" Todar shouted. "We NEED to get that Metroid back, and we need it ASAP! Everything else is of no moment! Do it, Jargol!" 

"Excuse me, sir, but there's an incoming call." The computer interrupted. "It's from PR. They say it's Priority One." 

"Priotiy One? From PR?" Todar blinked in amazement. "There hasn't been a Priority One from THERE in ten years! Might as well put it through..." A second vidlink opened, showing a young Federation soldier. He saluted. 

"Sir, it's Samus Aran! She called us up and demanded to speak with a Commander!" Todar groaned. 

"It was only a matter of time, I suppose..." He sighed. "Well, put her through. Knowing her, she'll get through anyways; might as well stop her from breaking anything." The soldier nodded, and his vidlink changed to Samus Aran, dressed in her power suit with her helmet off. 

"Commander Mark Todar?" She inquired. He nodded. "Thought so. Enough chit-chat. Less than half an hour ago, Space Station Ceres was-" 

"Attacked and destroyed by Ridley. I know." Todar told her. She smiled grimly. 

"Good to see you guys doing your jobs. He got away with the Metroid, Commander. He's kidnapped Matrix. I don't need to tell you how bad this is..." 

"Obviously." Todar snorted. "We've already put out a bounty on Ridley, as well as doubled Ezer & Garan's bounties and redoubled all Pirate bounties. Next, we plan to call in the Egenoid Star Marines-" 

"Don't bother." Samus waved him down. "I'm going in. I've taken the Pirates down twice before, and I'll do it again." 

"That won't be neccessary." Todar said grimly. "You're not a Federation officer, miss Aran. You are not allowed to simply declare a one-woman war on the Space Pirates just like that." 

"You know what, Todar?" The bounty hunter snarled. "I don't care. This is a personal fight now. Think of it this way; you're going to get spared a lot of money. Except, of course, for the shitload of bounties you'll be paying to me. Just relax. I"ll handle everything." 

"Wait!" Commander Todar yelled. But it was too late; the connection died, leaving him to invent new swear words on the spot. 


	4. Chapter 3: Reptilian Reunion

**__**

Chapter 3: Reptilian Reunion 

"Hey, alcohol boy!" A cranky voice penetrated the darkness. "Are you going to lie there all month? You're starting to stink, you know!" Slowly, painfully, Falcon opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was Horzat. 

"Ugh... this is not what I want to see first thing in the morning..." He muttered. Horzat glared at him and kicked him in the side. 

"Screw you too, kid. I'm waking you up out of pure professionality. You had a lot of drinks last night, you know, and I figure if I let you sleep there for too much longer... well, let me just remind you that Power Suits don't have that particular function, unlike your species' early spacesuits. And I seriously do NOT need to be cleaning THAT off my floor, okay?" 

'Thanks for sharing that with me." Falcon shot back, rising to his feet. He immediately winced. "Urgh... although you're probably right. If you'll excuse me." The bounty hunter immediately bolted for the men's room. Horzat stared after him for a moment, then sighed and shook his head. Stumping over to a closet and taking out a mop, the bartender began cleaning the spot on the floor where Falcon had been lying, stopping only to kick an empty mug behind the counter. Another passed-out drunk started snoring loudly; Horzat responded by stepping on the lush's face until he stopped. After several minutes, Falcon reemerged from the men's room, smiling. 

"That took care of a lot of things." 

"Don't go any further in depth on this subject." Horzat warned him. "Trust me, I do NOT want to know any more about your species'... well... that. I already found out way too much from Galactal Grographic." Falcon threw back his head and laughed. 

"Don't worry; it's not one of my favorite conversation starters anyways." 

"I can imagine why." Horzat commented dryly. "Much as I'd prefer not to." Suddenly, every one of the televisions in the barroom changed to an identical Federation symbol, despite each being on a different channel. "What the hell? Some kind of really important Federation announcement...?" Falcon frowned. 

"Quiet. I want to see what this is about." The logo receded to the corner of the screen, replaced by a man in a Commander's uniform sitting behind a desk. The caption announced him as Commander Mark Todar. 

"Citizens of the Federation, I come to you with horrible news. Space Station Ceres, a scientific research outpost, has been... completely destroyed." 

"Say WHAT?!" Horzat screamed. Falcon's eyes grew wide. 

"Ceres? Isn't that where...?" 

"Where Matrix, the last Metroid is being held." The bartender nodded. "Yes, it is. Or at least, it WAS." He returned his attention to the screen. 

"To those of you who had friends and family aboard Ceres, we of the Federation give you our greatest sympathy. I ask all who see this to show a moment of silence for those scientests who died today." He bowed his head for a moment, then returned to speech. "The culprit for this disaster is known to us. Many of you may have already guessed; but for those of you who haven't... it was the Space Pirates." 

"Gee, I wonder who didn't see THAT one coming." Horzat muttered sarcastically. Falcon shushed him as Todar continued. 

"The specific attackers were three Pirates; the Zebesians Ezer and Garan, and the Drakar Ridley, returned from the dead once more. The object of their attack was the last surviving Metroid, Matrix; he is now possessed by the Pirates. I need not tell you of the neccessity for recovering Matrix and chastising the Pirates as soon as possible. We assure you, we are doing everything we can to forward this. Even as we speak, the Egenoid Star Marines are preparing themselves for an assault on Zebes. In the meantime..." He coughed awkwardly. "In the meantime, we urge all the Bounty Hunters in the galaxy who wish to distinguish themselves to do so. Firstly, we are doubling the already-generous Bounties on Ezer and Garan. Secondly, as of this moment, the following Bounty is out." Todar was replaced by a still picture of Ridley, with text underneath. 

Name: Ridley 

Bounty: 1500000 (Dead) 3000000 (Alive) 

Wanted For: Space Piracy Grand, Kidnapping, Murder, Mass Destruction, Larceny, Illegal Cybernetics Use, Organized Crime, Grand Theft Spacecraft, Grand Theft Science. 

Species: Drakar 

Dossier: One of the leaders of the Space Pirates, Ridley is Mother Brain's right-hand creature. Sly, cunning and wicked, Ridley is known for surprise attacks at high speed. Like Kraid and Mother Brain, Ridley was believed killed by the bounty hunter Samus Aran in the Zebes Disaster several years ago. However, he was revived by Phantoon and Draygon, and was forced to serve them under the orders Mother Brain had set down for this occasion, despite his anger. He was outfitted with cybernetic enhancements to destroy Samus Aran, but these failed him in the Tallon IV incident, and he has apparently discarded them in favor of his natural abilites. Several hours ago, Ridley attacked Space Station Ceres, murdered the scientests and stole the single remaining Metroid in existence. After a brief duel with Samus Aran, Ridley escaped and set Ceres to blow. Only highly experienced bounty hunters should attempt to capture Ridley. 

Last Seen: Space Station Ceres 

Home Planet: Draconis 

"Whoa, whoa, whoa." Falcon's face was stretched with a gigantic grin. "Tell me I'm not seeing things... is that Bounty really as big as I think it is?" 

"Looks that way to me." Horzat grunted, his one eye wide. "That's almost enough to buy my bar if he's brought in alive!" The Bounty was replaced by Todar once again. 

"Thirdly..." The Commander winced. "...I have been authorized to tell you that... until Matrix has been returned... all Space Pirate Bounties are doubled." 

"WHOO-HOO!!!" Falcon let loose a raucous shout of glee and jumped up onto a table, ignoring Horzat's yelling. "All Space Pirate Bounties are doubled! The most beautiful words I've ever heard! Come on, you old codger, celebrate!" 

"If you don't get off of my furniture, boy, I'm going to be celebrating the size of your hospital bill." The grumpy bartender snapped. Falcon clambered down, still grinning like a drunken duck. 

"Yah, you old fraud. Anyways, I'll be off. This is the break I've been waiting for! I'm gonna be rich!" 

"What are you talking about?" Horzat asked. "Where are you going?" The bounty hunter began walking towards the exit. 

"To Zebes, of course! Everybody knows they've been rebuilding their forces there! It's a whole planet full of lottery tickets waiting to be cashed!" Horzat clomped over to him, and hit him over the head with his cane. "OW! What-" 

"It's also a planet full of deathtraps!" The Ex-Pirate reminded him. "Take it from somebody who's not only actually been there, but been one of the bad guys! You're good, kid, but you're not Zebes good." 

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Falcon just laughed. "Look, Horzat, I won't tell you how to mix drinks, and you don't tell me how to hunt bounties, okay? I'll be fine. If Samus can take down Mother Brain, surely I can manage Ridley and some others! I need to get going now if I wanna get there first; the other Hunters will be swarming over Zebes like flies on a dead Snoork before long. Speaking of Samus especially; she's already got a head start! I'll be seeing you around!" Waving cheerily, he ran out of the bar, turned at the corner of the street and jumped into his Gunship. A few minutes later, the ship took off and flew away into the sky. Back at the bar, Horzat sighed and shook his head, mopping the floor. 

"Damn fool... he's asking for an early death. Falcon's just not as good as Samus, no matter how hard he tries to pretend he is..." He stopped, thinking about the female bounty hunter. "I wonder how Samus is doing right now... knowing her, she's as mad as all hell and ready to kick some ass." He smiled faintly and resumed his work. "Maybe I should give her a call or something after I'm done here... no matter how tough you are, it's always good to have somebody to talk to." 

*** 

"Well?" Ridley stretched and yawned hugely. "What's the prognosis, Doctor K?" 

"You'll live." Kraid grunted, putting away his medical scanner. "For a little longer, at least. I wouldn't place any bets on your surviving the meeting with the boss lady. Why the hell did you let Aran get away? You had the perfect oppurtunity to get rid of her once and for all!" 

"Yeah, but she was at her weakest." Ridley explained. "After the times we've fought, it wouldn't be right to take advantage of her like that to kill her. I want to beat her in REAL combat." He coolly glossed over the stupid mistake he had made. Kraid shook his head. 

"You always were strange, Ridley... I don't understand you sometimes." The Drakar shrugged. 

"Call it warrior's honor." 

"Yeah, well warrior's honor won't save you from Mom." Kraid muttered. "You realize that once Draygon hears of this, he'll be gloating up a storm, right?" 

"Ah, he'll be too busy ripping his scales out over that little trick we came up with." Ridley snickered, jumping off the table he had been resting on and walking towards the jungles of Brinstar. "You DID do it while I was gone, right?" Kraid smiled. 

"Of course. The guy didn't really know what was going on, but I think he reasoned it was better than the alternative. Draygon's choking on his own webbing over the whole thing." 

"ANYTHING would be better than going on Draygon's torture rack." Ridley said sourly. "Speaking of prisoners, have you managed to get anything out of those three Etecoons yet?" 

"Nothing so far." Kraid mumbled, swatting a huge Zebbo bug. "They steadfastly refuse to teach our boys the Wall Jump. I'm going to ask Mom for permission to test on them as a means of incentive if they don't talk by tomorrow." 

"Ooh... that should be fun." Ridley snickered. "I just hope your judgements on their physiology are correct... they won't be much use to us if they swell up and explode." Kraid spread his arms. 

"Ridley, have you no faith in my scientific abilities?" They both laughed. "So, you turned Matrix over to Mom?" 

"Yup." Ridley nodded. "Cute little fellow, actually. They're so sweet when they're babies." 

"And then before you know it, they're all grown up and sucking the life out of you." Kraid said dryly. Ridley smirked. 

"Don't worry, I'm not gonna get all soppy over the little parasite. Mom said she wants to try and multiply him. I wonder... ah, we're here." The two Pirate Lords entered the meeting room in Tourian, and were immediately greeted by an increase in noise, courtesy of Draygon. 

"HE ESCAPED!" The Evir shrieked, livid. "THAT DAMNED BIRD ESCAPED!" 

"Calm yourself, Draygon!" Mother Brain ordered him. "Now, I assume you are referring to the Dachura that we captured?" 

"Yes..." He hissed, claws twitching. "He arrived on time, sure enough, but during the unloading, he somehow knocked out all the guards and got away!" Kraid and Ridley glanced at each other, and the corners of their mouths quirked upward slightly. 

"Hmm..." Mother Brain thought. "We had no information whatsoever about the fighting abilities of the Dachura, but assumed they were of no threat. Quite obviously, we were wrong. Do you have any idea whatsoever of where it went?" 

"None at all." Draygon admitted. "He made a clean break; nobody saw him. I've got my clan scouring Maridia, but no luck. I don't really expect anything, though; Dachurae are from a dry, arid environment, right?" 

"Yeah, that's correct." Phantoon agreed with him. "Let's see; the only place under our direct control that fits that description is... Kraid, didn't you say that a good portion of Brinstar was undergoing a severe drought?" 

"Well... yes." Kraid admitted. "It's a very bad drought, although even with it, Brinstar's not exactly dry and arid. Still, I'll have my guys comb the sector if it'll make you feel better. Just don't get your hopes up." 

"I've learned never to get my hopes up about something you're undertaking, Kraid." The Elocto told him. Kraid grunted, but didn't rise to the bait. "Pressing on... I understand that Ridley's mission to capture the last Metroid was a success." 

"Correctamundo, Phanty!" Ridley whacked Phantoon on the back in what was supposed to look like a brotherly thump. "Just like everything else I do!" 

"Yeah, except for those one or two times involving Samus Aran." Draygon snickered. "You know, the ones where you died." Ridley waved a claw dismissively. 

"Aaah, I'm over that. Aran showed up at Ceres, and I still got little Matrix, didn't I?" 

"Well... yes." Draygon said grudgingly. "Although, you still couldn't kill her off..." 

"That's enough, both of you." Mother Brain snapped. "Yes, the Metroid is here. Right here..." On a mental command from her, the right wall retracted, revealing a galdezium barrier. On the other side was a single, small, floating lifeform. Matrix. 

"The last Metroid..." Kraid hissed, as he, Phantoon and Draygon all pressed up against the barrier. "So small... but with so much power..." Matrix twitched, acknowledging their prescence, but not moving towards or away from them. One by one, they returned to their places around the meeting table. "So, are you going to divide him by radiation again?" 

"No." Mother Brain shook back and forth. "Matrix is too weak, too puny. He wouldn't be able to survive it. Kraid, have your cloning methods progressed any?" The Iz shook his head. 

"I'm afraid not.. the clones are still horribly weak and as dumb as posts. Of course, that's only on intelligent life... I haven't tried it on unintelligents, so who knows. Hey, Phantoon, come here and let's find out." Phantoon rolled his eye. 

"Har har." 

"We'll try cloning Matrix." Mother Brain decided. "If it doesn't work out, then... we'll result to more...drastic measures. Is there any other business that any of you wish to bring up?" There was none. "Good. Meeting dismissed." The four commanders left, seperating into the normal pairs. Kraid sidled over to Ridley. 

"There was actually one more thing, but I didn't want to bring it up; I'd sound like Phantoon, whining. Anyways... Samus Aran. She's going to be coming here again before long, Rid." 

"Yeah, I know." The Drakar nodded. "She's gonna be rightly pissed and out for blood." 

"Well, I for one will be ready for her." Kraid chuckled evilly. Ridley sighed. 

"The Sys-Gro, you mean? I really wish you'd break off that stuff... it could still have some very nasty effects we don't know about." 

"Aah, I'll be okay." Kraid smirked. "Sys-Gro's fine. And when Aran comes knocking... she won't be leaving." Ridley shrugged, resigned. 

"Whatever you say, Kraid." 

*** 

"Five minutes until contact with Planet Zebes." The ship's computer announced. Samus didn't move from her seat, piloting it closer. The yellow globe loomed up in her view, a familiar, deadly sight. 

"So... after years, I finally return..." She whispered. "I knew all along, ever since Tallon IV, that I would fight the Pirates once again some day. And now, that day has come... but this time... it's personal. Matrix... I'll get you back. I promise." Further reflection was cut off by another message from the ship. 

"Incoming vessel. It is the Hunter-class Gunship, _Zero_." 

"_Zero_?" Samus blinked. "Isn't that-" Before she could finish, a blue ship blasted past at top speed, straight towards Zebes. The incoming transmission light was blinking; Samus hit it, and a man in a blue Power Suit popped up on the vidscreen. 

"Hey, Samus! First come, first served on those bounties!" 

"Falcon, you idiot!" Samus screamed. "That's ZEBES down there! This isn't-" But it was too late; he had cut the contact. Muttering a few choice words in Chozo, Samus gunned it and sped off towards Zebes. As she approached, she saw that the planet's surface was covered in Space Pirate operations. "Dammit... looks like they've been expanding the base. I won't be able to just go down into Brinstar right away like last time... well, there's no point in complaining about it. Computer, prepare for landing." The ship slowly came to a stop a few feet above the barren, rocky ground. It was only after she had exited the ship that Samus realized something else. It was raining. 

"Figures..." She sighed. Tapping on a keypad in the ship's side, she activated the cloaking function, and it shimmered and disappeared. The bounty hunter then looked around for the _Zero_, but found no trace of it. "Well, it looks like Falcon's got a little bit of sense... enough to put his own cloaking device on, at least. I wonder where he's got to..." She shook her head. "Not my business. Falcon's a big boy; he can take care of himself. My job's to retrieve Matrix... and to kick some serious Pirate butt while I'm at it. I just hope there's still a bunch of Chozo treasures around." The universe had already made it blatantly clear how far she would get without upgrading her suit on Ceres. Starting off, Samus soon found a cavern with a blue, bulbous doorway in back. "As I recall, blue's the lowest security level... good." Samus muttered. "There's only one way to open these things. Blasting them." A shot from her Power Beam opened the door, and the bounty hunter walked right in. It slammed shut behind her, leaving her in the dark. Small, harmless green insects scattered as she carefully advanced to the back, where the passage turned vertical, leading downwards. Climbing down ledges, Samus soon found a pair of doors, opposite each other. One was blue, the other red. "Let's see... was red Level 2, or green? Can't remember... well, doesn't matter anyways. Either way, I can't get through right now. Blue door it is." On the other side of the door was a tiny room made of carved bricks. The only feature was a small tunnel. 

"Figures I don't have my Morph Ball... I'll have to come back here later." Samus was forced to return to the cave, and dropped to the bottom, where a blue portal was in the floor. It led her to another horizontal tunnel; this one of red metal. It was also quite cold. Samus recognized it all too well. "This is.... the passage I took out of Tourian last time..." She climbed down the purple, rubbery ledges to the bottom. "And that means through this door is..." Stepping through, Samus beheld something she had never wished to see again. The chamber of Mother Brain. All traces of the glass casing and the evil lifeform it had held were gone, leaving wiring exposed; the lava pools had been drained; and the vast, mechanical defense system was deactivated. It still sent chills down her spine nonetheless. On the other end of the room was a door leading to... an elevator. 

"I wonder where this goes..." Samus shrugged and rode it down. The blue tube came to and end in a blue cavern with gargoyle skulls carved into the ceiling and walls. It was also very familiar. "This looks exactly like the room I started in last time... but this can't be Brinstar. Something stinks here... I wonder if..." Climbing over a hill, Samus slipped into a side room and found what she had expected. A shining, golden globe about the size of a basketball waiting on a raised platform. A Chozo Morph Ball, which would give her suit its logic-defying ball mode. Even now, she hadn't figured out how it worked, and to her knowledge, there was no other Power Suit in the galaxy that could use it. Smiling for the first time since she had arrived on Zebes, Samus reached over and took it. As soon as she touched the ball, her suit shone with equal intensity, and its power was transferred. Unfortunately, her elation was short-lived; as soon as the transfer was complete, a bright spotlight on the celing shone right on her, and all the gargoyles turned to face her. 

"Shit! Some kind of security system!" Morphing into ball form and rolling under the hill, Samus quickly ran through the door at the other end of the room. The next room had a raised ledge running across to a red door. "No going in there... but..." Climbing onto the ledge, she shot downward, and smiled as the section she had hit crumbled. "Thought so." She fell down to the hidden room below and went through the waiting door. The sight that greeted her there made Samus smile again. It was a Chozo statue. The ancient, mysterious species that had raised Samus had once lived on Zebes, Tallon IV, and many other planets. Though they were gone, the artifacts of their civilization remained; a Chozo statue would serve as the holder of such artifacts, each of which upgraded her Power Suit in some way. Samus walked up to the statue and looked into its eyes for a moment, then opened the capsule it held. A tank with a picture of a missile on the side. "A Missile Tank... excellent." Samus' missile launcher required Missile Tanks in order to hold the ammunition. Each one gave her room to hold five more. Climbing back up to the previous room, Samus looked at the red door, then shrugged. "Might as well give it a shot..." It took her entire supply of Missiles, but the door opened. "YES! Red was Level 2 after all!" Inside, the bounty hunter had her first encounter with dangerous wildlife; ceiling-clinging Skrees that dived at any intruders, and a giant, flying insectoid predator called a Reo. All of them fell to her Power Beam quickly. At the back of the room , through a tiny tunnel, another Missile Pack sat on a pedestal. There seemed to be nothing more down there, so the bounty hunter took the elevator back up to the remnants of Tourian. As she stepped out into Mother Brain's chamber, however, reality slapped Samus in the face. Hard. The long, empty chamber was crawling with grey-blue armored creatures whose arms ended in claws. Zebesians. Space Pirates. One of them turned around and saw Samus. 

"There she is! Get-" His command died away as the Power Beam shot blew his head off. A rustling overhead attracted Samus' attention, and she fired straight up without looking. The corpse of the Zebesian who had been hanging on the wall above her fell down with a smoking hole through its chest. The others in the room began firing at her, using the natural blasters in their claws. Samus advanced, using the remains of Mother Brain's old protection system as cover. One by one, they fell, and Samus began climbing the escape shaft. It was also filled with Pirates, hanging on the walls and sniping her. As she climbed up, filling her missile tanks up all the way from the corpses, the bounty hunter noted that the lights were back on, showing that the metallic walls were really grey and not red with rust as she had originally thought. She then went back up the dark cavern as well, stopping by to investigate the blue brick room on the way and discovering that the tunnel was blocked by sandstone blocks. 

"I'll have to remember to come back here after I get some bombs..." Samus muttered as she opened the red door across from it and blew away the bugs inside. At the back of the side passage was what Samus recognized as a Pirate Map Station, where she could download the map of this area of Zebes. "So, this section is called Crateria..." She realized, looking the map over as it downloaded into her power suit. Crateria apparently composed of Zebes' surface and the caverns directly underneath. There was also a wrecked Koben ship, near where her own ship was landed; its interior did not show up on the map. "I'll have to check that out..." Samus continued on her path back to the surface, dodging and blasting some native wildlife that had come out while she was below. Before long, the bounty hunter was once again on the upper portion of the cave. Wiping out a few hanging Skree; Samus checked out a tunnel in the floor and fell into another level. The cavern down there held a swarm of small, hostile insects called Mellow. They were easily disposed of, but the end of the cavern had another red door. Inside was a second Chozo statue. Samus opened the capsule and grinned; it had just what she needed. "Bombs." The Bomb upgrade for her Morph Ball mode. It would allow her to lay energy-based explosives in Morph Ball mode, and didn't require ammunition. She took it and turned to leave, but stopped as she heard a crumbling noise behind her, like rock breaking apart. The bounty hunter turned to see the Chozo statue's outer layer crumble. It blinked once, then stood up and shrieked a war cry at her! 

"What the hell?!" Samus yelled. "This is impossible! What's-" She stopped as a bit of memory from her childhood rose. 

_"Many of our statues shall give their gifts to all who seek them." Old Ekhwo, her tutor, explained. "But some few shall seek to test those who take their treasures, as guardians. These shall be called Torizo, and woe to he who be not prepared for their wrath." _

"This is worse than the ghosts of Tallon IV..." Samus muttered, firing off her Power Beam at the Torizo's chest. It advanced on her, ignoring the dents and chips with a rock-brained singlemindedness, and slashed at her with its claws. Samus took a cut across her arm, but continued blasting her opponent at point blank range, inflicting dreadful damage. Realizing this, the Torizo leaped backward to the other side of the room and opened its mouth again. This time, though, it was not sound that emerged, but a stream of fist-sized rocks. Caught by surprise, Samus was hit by a few before she destroyed the rest and resumed firing upon the Torizo. It advanced once more and regardless, and the bounty hunter decided to try a new tactic. A Missile in the face. The Torizo squawked in pain, but kept coming, and swiped at her once more. Samus jumped to the side and hit the statue with a second, forcing it to jump back again. It then opened its beak in preparation for another rock assault. 

"Say AAAH!" Samus yelled as she leapt at the Torizo and shot her third Missile straight down its throat. The Chozo artifact could take no more, and the head exploded, showering Samus with gravel. She sighed and relaxed... then groaned as the headless Torizo began crashing around the room in a blind panic. "Oh, give me a break here! Just DIE, already!" She leaped into the air and fired her last two missiles into the neck stump, and the sentry finally collapsed into a pile of rubble. Samus looked at it for a moment, then turned and left the room, mumbling about not getting paid enough. 

*** 

"So this is Zebes." The man in the blue power suit growled, looking at the dead Zebesians that littered the room. "So far... I'm not too impressed." Shaking his head, Falcon began scanning each of them for the bounties. Power Suit scanners had DNA identification that confirmed the bounties and made sure the hunter wasn't trying to pass off the same Pirate multiple times. The scanners also took bioscans to verify that they were dead. Once he returned to his ship, he could then transmit them to the Federation, and recieve his payment. When the last one had been scanned, Falcon left the room and continued. "So far, all I've found is small fry." He complained. "Where are the big guys? Hell, I'd even be satisfied with some of the mediums like Crocomire or Ezer & Garan..." The bounty hunter sighed. "Well, at least there's a lot of them. Money is money, I suppose. And at least I've got to have a lead on Samus; she doesn't bother taking the small bounties when she's on an attack like this." Falcon though about that a little more as he hiked along, idly killing a huge Zebbo bug. He smirked. 

"I wonder how far she's gotten, since she's on her bare essentials. Of course, knowing her she'll repower her suit by finding some of that Chozo treasure. Wish I could get my hands on some of that stuff; I bet it'd sell for a nice hunk of change. Well, I've definately got a head start on her. Even if she catches up to me eventually, I should be able to nab one or two of the big boys before she does. I'm not TOO greedy, after all; I'd be happy to let her finish the job after that. I'm such a nice guy." Falcon chuckled as he killed another Zebesian and scanned it. "Of course, for that to take place I'd actually have to FIND some of the big boys in order to take them out, wouldn't I." He looked around at the green foliage and buzzing insects. "This is Brinstar. Now, who did Samus say liked to hang out in this place?... Kraid, that was it." He snapped his fingers and grinned; neither Samus nor Horzat had seen him looking at the early showing of Kraid's bounty in Horzat's bar at the night of the assasination attempt. 

"Well, Kraid, you're not going to be on the market much longer.." Falcon muttered a threat to the image in his head of the fat Iz. "I'll be collecting the bounty on your scaly hide, and I'll bring Horzat back your head as a present. He'll give me free drinks for life! Ha ha ha!" Lost in his imagined reverie, Falcon tripped over a bush and smashed right into a green door. Cursing, the bounty hunter stepped back and prepared to open it with a Super Missile. As he was about to, however, the door opened by itself from the other side. Falcon found himself facing a green, bipedal bird about the same size as him with a head crest. Nonplussed, the bird stood blinking at him for several seconds, and Falcon couldn't do much but blink back. Finally, he whipped his blaster up, but the bird was faster, trampling him flat and rushing past into the jungle foliage. By the time Falcon had risen again, it was long gone. 

"What was that...?" He wondered as he walked through the door. "Didn't look like native wildlife, and it didn't seem like a Pirate... at least, it didn't seem interested in fighting. Some kind of scientest, maybe? A civilian, without any kind of combat skills, in the wrong place at the wrong time... yeah, that could be it. He was just lucky to surprise me like that, or I would have blasted him on... whoa!" He had emerged into a completely different kind of Brinstar. Dry and arid, the tunnels which had previously been rich with green life were now hard red clay and sand. "This is wierd... some kind of drought, I suppose. Kraid must be blowing his third eye about this... heh heh heh." Chuckling, the bounty hunter began hiking through the desolate wastes. Before too long, he discovered that the only water in this section of Brinstar were tepid pools at the lowest depths, inhabited by nasty, huge eels with impenetrable exoskeletons. They had a tendency to sink their pincers into anything they thought was edible, which meant everything they saw. That included blue power suits, much to Falcon's annoyance. He managed to get past them in one piece, though, and trudged onward through a dark tunnel. The bounty hunter emerged inside a Galdezium tube... underwater. 

"So this is where all the water's been going..." He realized, looking through to the other side. Unknowingly, Falcon had accidentally stumbled upon Maridia, the ocean world of the Pirate territory. Many of the great artists of the galaxy would have swooned upon seeing the bizarre beauty of the golden sands, blue waters, and most of all, the strange and dangerous yet amazing creatures that swam through it, from the fiercely familial Tatori to the burrowing Owtch. However, Falcon had no eye for such wonders; to him, beauty was in money. He walked on, blissfully unaware of the burning pair of eyes staring after him from a clump of water plant. Once he was gone, the leaves parted to reveal an Evir, of Draygon's clan. 

"A bounty hunter.. the Draygon must hear that they are coming to Zebes now." Without another sound, he swam off to make his report. Meanwhile, Falcon had found an elevator down to another sector, but journeyed past it in favor of sticking to Kraid. He found a blue cave with a large, hideous gargoyle. Inspecting the seeming dead-end closer, the bounty hunter discovered a passageway in the statue's mouth, leading to what seemed to be a seperate area of Brinstar. "He's gotta be near... I have to be getting close to him." It was only a short time before his prediction was shown to be accurate. A few cramped, narrow rooms later, Falcon suddenly emerged in a very long, spacious hall of green metal. Halfway down, the ceiling lowered and had several metal blades sticking out, with a pair of purple jewels set evenly above. The effect was of the upper jaw of some giant beast. And at the end of the hall... was a fat, green Iz, slightly taller than a human, who was bald. "Kraid! There you are!" The bounty hunter announced triumphantly. Hearing this, the Iz turned and glared at him. 

"Who...? Enemy? Die!" Hissing, he began firing the spikes from his abdomen like bullets, straight at Falcon. The bounty hunter was no slouch, however, and Kraid's rate of fire was slow. Ducking and jumping, rolling and hurdling, Falcon slowly made his way down the hall. At the midpoint, he swung from the indentations that held the purple jewels (trying for a moment to wrench them out of their sockets as he did, but failing). Kraid kept up the barrage with a mindless intensity, not reacting when Falcon sprang right in front of him and grinned. 

"See ya later, fatboy." With that quip, he fired a Super Missile, then leaped back and prepared another. But it was unecessary; as soon as the heavy-grade projectile exploded, Kraid did as well, splattering all over the room. Falcon stared. "Well, that was easy..." He muttered after a few moments. "There was something odd about his speech, too... I thought Kraid was supposed to be a brilliant scientest, but he was talking like some kind of primitive Preevolutionary back there..." As the bounty hunter bent over to take a scan, he realized for the first time there was another door in front of him. "Hmm... maybe there's some kind of treasure back there? Worth a shot..." Smiling, Falcon walked on. Avoiding some spikes in the ceiling and floor, he came across a huge eye that was exactly the same height and width as a Pirate door. "The hell? Must be some kind of guard... open wide, blinky!" A Super Missile dissolved the eye, and the door opened. Falcon looked inside... and screamed in absolute terror. 

Less than a moment later, he stopped screaming, never to make any kind of sound again. 

*** 

"Aha!" Samus exclaimed. The bluebrick tunnel had held another Missile Tank at the end, bringing her total up to 15. Now, she had discovered that the back wall on the top level of the cave held a secret passage, accessible with her Morph Ball Bombs. "Now, where does this lead..." As it turned out, it led to a downhill-slanted tunnel, moist, and dank with huge mushrooms growing and purple mold on the walls. Flying critters called Wavers flitted around, but were easily shot down. At the bottom, Samus frowned; the purple mold was on the floor, and it didn't look particularly stable. "Some sacrifices have to be made..." She sighed, and began wading through. It wasn't too long before she discovered another downside; inability to see obstructions. In other words, she tripped and fell. "Ugh..." Cursing, she fished out whatever she had tripped over... and brightened. It was an additional Energy Tank for her Power Suit, which would double the amount of damage it could take before being destroyed. It was also, unfortunately, covered in the mold. Making a face, Samus let her suit absorb it. "Double ugh. I just hope this stuff isn't poisonous or anything." She hastily moved forward to get out of the disgusting cavern... and ran right off a ledge in the next room, falling right in front of the startled Zebesian. It was hard to tell who was more surprised, Samus or the Pirate. Then, they simultaneously whipped up their blasters and fired. The Pirate's shot sizzled against Samus' armor, but her shot ricocheted off harmlessly. "What the-?" It was then that she noticed for the first time that it was green. "Wait... could this be that stuff about adapting the Chozo suit upgrades Horzat told me about..?" 

"Correct, hunter!" The Pirate cackled. "I'm a V-Level! Your puny beam can't scratch me!" 

"Oh, really." She smiled grimly as her blaster visibly changed into the Missile launcher. "And what about Missiles?" The Pirate paled, going celery-colored. 

"Well, um... crap." He exploded with one shot. Samus sniffed the smoke left behind. 

"Yeah, I figured as much." She commented as she climbed down more ledges, eliminating each one of the V-Level Pirates the same way and taking Missiles off their corpses to resupply. At the bottom, a red door and a blue door awaited Samus. "Decisions, decisions..." She looked from one to the other, then opened the red door with five Missiles. It led to a long, very cold tunnel. There was actually frost on the steel, and the bounty hunter could see her own breath. She walked down to the end, past many flashing orange lights, and went into the next chamber... then jumped back in surprise at what she found in there. 

The small, green chamber was carved roughly out of rock, not smooth and neat like other caverns. At the center, the floor dipped into a pool of water. And in that pool... was the sole reason for this room's existence. A huge, golden statue of four beings. A fat, bald, lizardlike Iz with glowing emeralds in its three eye sockers. An insectoid Evir back-to-back with it, eyes replaced by sapphires. A bizarre, tentacled Elocto leaning against their sides, a topaz as its single eye. And perched on top of them all was a dragonoid Drakar, staring forward with a pair of rubies. All the gems pulsed as if they were alive. Samus had seen this before... she knew what it meant. 

"Lifeforce statues... they deactivate when the being they were modeled after dies." She recognized two of them by the third spike on the Iz's abdomen (most only had two) and the chest scars of the Drakar. Kraid and Ridley. From there, it wasn't hard to guess who the other two were. "Phantoon and Draygon. But if I need to kill all of them to get through here... what IS down there? Tourian was completely destroyed... maybe Matrix is being held there. The old 'defeat us all, and you can take him' thing. That DOES seem Ridley's style, come to think of it..." Whatever was down there, she wasn't getting in for a long time. Samus made a mark on her map of Crateria, then turned and left, going on in the opposite direction. To another mushroom and mold cave. Groaning, Samus ran through as quickly as possible. The next room, however, held something much more welcoming. An elevator, leading downward. A scan told Samus that it led to the underground jungles of Brinstar, where she had began her assault last time. Kraid's territory. 

"About time..." The bounty hunter muttered as she rode the elevator down. Unlike barren, rocky Crateria, the world of Brinstar was filled with life. Samus couldn't help but smile as she saw the flora everywhere. "I'll give Kraid this. This place has excellent decor." Blasting some crawling insects, she climbed down the vertical shaft until she found a pair of red doors facing each other. Choosing one, she entered it and saw an insect's nest with a ledge overhead. Climbing on, Samus beheld a flat, straight path. Shrugging, she stepped forward... and fell through the floor. Muttering curses, Samus looked up to see what was now the ceiling reform. One-way breakaway blocks that crumbled whenever anything stepped on them, then reformed, and were indestructible otherwise. However, on the bright side, another Missile Tank was sharing the room with her. After snagging it, Samus found a block in a wall could be destroyed by her Bombs, putting her behind the nest she had seen earlier. After getting back up on the ledge, Samus tried running across... and had similar results. 

"Obviously, I'm not getting over there..." She muttered, returning to the vertical shaft and taking the opposite red door. She was immediately assaulted by a Sidehopper, a deadly predator insect. The beast's claws took a nasty chunk out of her suit's shield energy before she splattered it with a missile. At first, this steel room seemed to be a dead-end. But Samus had learned that Pirates NEVER made useless dead-ends. She was right; a little experimenting with Bombs turned up a hidden tunnel that took her to the Map Station. Upon downloading it, the bounty hunter immediately located a section designated "Kraid's Lair"... on the other side of Brinstar. "Just as well, I suppose... I definately want to power my suit up a little more before going head to head with El Tubbo. Hmm..." Looking around the map some more, Samus saw an oddly-labeled room. "'S.S.'? What's that mean? Sounds interesting... I'd better go check it out." Returning to the vertical shaft, Samus dropped to the bottom, where two more red doors waitied silently. "Lessee... the door on my right leads to 'S.S.'... but there's a Missile Station on my left. I need a refill." Opening the left door with her last five Missiles, Samus avoided a few firefly-like Fire Fleas and restocked her ammunition, then went back and took the right path. The narrow tunnel was filled with a pink, sifting dust... pollen? At one point, it was thick enough to block the path, but some bombs removed the obstruction. At the end, the tunnel went into an intersection, where Samus could go up or down. "S.S." was upward, so the bounty hunter took that path, blasting territorial Zebbo bugs defending their nests as she clambered around the pollen formations. Another red door was at the end of it all. Five Missiles later, she walked through, and found herself face to face with a human-sized, humanoid flying insect. They both screamed, and Samus blew it to smithereens with a Missile. 

"What the HELL was that?" She wondered as she walked on, idly noticing that she was out of the thick pollen tunnels and surrounded by green jungle once more. Then she saw the other two. 

"A bounty hunter..." The first hissed. 

"Kill it!" The other yelled. Then they both dived. Samus killed one, but took a slash from the other's handclaws before she could waste it. 

"They can talk...?" She wondered. "I've never seen them before... some kind of isolated intelligent species the Pirates made a deal with...?" The bounty hunter shook her head. "I can look them up later. According to the map, 'S.S.' should be in the room right above me..." Looking up, Samus saw a blue door hatch in the ceiling. She jumped through and landed in the room above. At first glance, it seemed to be nothing more than a normal room of Brinstar, covered in green plant life, with a ceiling too high for her to reach. Then she saw a sign. "Hmm?" 

_Botanical Mutation Experiment 120 Spore Spawn-Kraid. _

"So, 'S.S.' means Spore Spawn... and it's an experiment of Kraid's." Samus realized. "But what IS it?" She blinked as a small yellow tuft of pollen wafted down. "Huh?" Looking up, the bounty hunter realized the answer to her question, as a gigantic THING pushed its way out of the foliage on a wall. It was a tremendoeus plant; the main portion looked like some vegetative clam, with two shells clamped shut tight. They were covered in thorns as big as Samus, and tufts of that yellow pollen, which shook off as it moved. One of them touched her arm, and she yelled; the stuff was acidic enough to hurt. Spore Spawn was connected to the wall by a vine that had to be at least three feet thick; now that it had spotted her, it began waving about, releasing more deadly pollen while trying to slam into Samus. 

"Why does everything on this planet want to kill me?" The bounty hunter complained as she shot at the pollen and Spore Spawn. Her blasts incinerated the first, but fizzled harmlessly againt the second. "Just once, I'd like to see some friendly wildlife!" A Missile to Spore Spawn was equally ineffective. "Dammit, Kraid's armored this thing well..." The plant swooped down at her, and Samus dived to the side. As she did, Spore Spawn's shells slid apart, revealing a golden fruit at the core. "Ooh... methinks I see a weak point!" She fired a Missile right into the fruit, and several pieces were blown off. She repeated the attack, and Spore Spawn squealed, closing back up once more and renewing its attack at increased speed. Samus jumped, dodged and dived, shooting pollen down, until it opened once more and she Missiled the core twice again. Screeching in vegetative fury, Spore Spawn closed and flung itself around, lashing through the air insanely. Samus was slammed against a wall by it; the creature was too fast now for her to dodge. 

"How can I... oh, I know." Smiling, the bounty hunter curled up in the Morph Ball and let her senses guide her, avoiding the faint hiss of descending pollen and waiting for the noise that signified Spore Spawn exposing its core. The moment it was heard, Samus uncurled and leaped into the air, firing her Missiles once, twice, thrice. The golden fruit at Spore Spawn's core was completely pulped. Forcing its shells together, the plant beast tried to pull itself back up, retreating into the wall foliage. It was only halfway up when, with one last sigh, Spore Spawn's green shell became dry and brown with death. As if starting a chain reaction, all the other plant life in the room became brittle brown as well. 

"Thing must have been connected to all the other plants here..." Samus realized as she jumped onto the enemy's corpse, which now provided a supporting platform to reach the hole in the ceiling that led up to a metal platform and door. "I always hated biology..." 

*** 

"Okay, here's the plan." Ridley paced back and forth, arms clasped behind his back. "Mother Brain has put you under my command, so you're going to be down here in Norfair. I know it isn't your favorite type of environment, but that's the way things go sometimes. Just stay out of the lava... stuff'll melt the flesh right off your bones. Seriously, just like ice cream." He turned to face his new underling. "Unless, of course, your skin is designed to withstand temperatures over a thousand degrees farenheit, like mine. But that's not the case with you." The Allgor serial killer, Crocomire, didn't respond; he hadn't moved an inch during Ridley's talk. "Now, then. See this hall we're in? Your job is to just wait here. If any bounty hunters, particularly Samus Aran, come in, you kill them." He shuddered slightly. "And then, yes, you can eat them if you want. Ugh. I'm even having a wall of spikes constructed that'll block off the way onward, so they can't get away from you." The Drakar looked over his shoulder. "How's that wall coming, boys?" Ezer and Garan simultaneously groaned. 

"Coming along fine, boss." 

"Wall's looking good, boss." 

"Nice, nice." Ridley grinned without any trace of happiness. "Keep up the good work, and maybe I'll forgive you for that little screwup of yours back on Ceres. Maybe." He shifted his gaze back to Crocomire. "Well, that's it. Nice and simple, isn't it? Any questions?" Crocomire still didn't move, staring blankly at the Drakar. Ridley's smile evaporated. "Hey, pal, a simple yes or no would be nice. You know? Yes, no?" He suddenly remembered something, and looked skyward in despair. "Oh, Nodal. You're from the Far Side. You don't speak a word of Galactic, do you?" The Allgor continued staring at him. Ridley walked over and began waving a hand in front of his face. "Hey, Crocy! Can you understand anything I'm saying? Ugh, what was it... um... uia kizvos... bi ytu ryzzjo? HEY!" He leaped back as Crocomire's jaws clashed shut on where Ridley's arm had been a moment before. "Why you..." He opened his beak, preparing to teach the violent killer a firey lesson, then sighed and stifled it. "Aaah, to hell with you. You're not worth it. Ezer, Garan, make sure he stays here. When you've got that wall done, you can take five." Muttering to himself, the Drakar took off, down towards the deepest recesses of Norfair. Crocomire watched him go, unblinking and unmoving once again. 

"Ah, home sweet home..." Ridley smiled as he arrived in his personal quarters. Opening a can of I brew, he sat in a cushioned stone chair and brought down a hanging computer monitor, opening up a communications link with Kraid in Brinstar. The bald Iz's head appeared on the screen. 

"Hey, Rid. You finished telling that new guy Crocomire what to do?" 

"You could say that." Ridley rolled his eyes. "It didn't work out too well, mainly because the guy only spoke Mydiene. I tried getting through to him, but all I got was nearly a chunk taken out of me." 

"Oh?" Kraid asked curiously. "I know Mydiene... what'd you say to him?" 

"I just asked him 'uia kizvos bi ytu ryzzjo?'" The Drakar told his friend. Kraid jumped, then began laughing. 

"Oh, hell. No wonder he tried to chomp you!" Ridley frowned. 

"Why? What does it mean?" Kraid told him. Ridley paled. "I said THAT?" 

"Yuuup." 

"Oy... can't really blame him, I guess. I just hope he never tells his mother that I said that about her. I'll have Mom talk to him tomorrow." The Drakar took a sip of his alcohol. "This connection's secure, right?" Kraid adopted a look of injured pride. 

"Rid, I'm almost insulted you would think it otherwise." 

"Just making sure." Ridley assured him. "So... how's our little birdy been doing?" Kraid's face shifted to a grin. 

"Great. The Dachura's still running around through Brinstar; it never stops moving for long. Smart bird. I've got some of my loyalists making rudimentary searches for it, but the thing's too good; they never manage to catch it." Ridley snickered. 

"What a shame." 

"Yeah, isn't it? He actually ran into a bounty hunter once; the idiot tried to shoot it. Fortunately, the Dachura was able to dodge and escape, or the game might've ended right there." Ridley's head perked up. 

"A bounty hunter? Already? Geez, word travels fast these days. Was he the only one?" 

"So far." Kraid nodded. "And he ain't around no more. He was pretty good; good enough to cap one of my clone guards, at any rate. I still killed him, though. I detest people who interrupt my experiments. Speaking of which, I lied; there is one more bounty hunter in Brinstar right now." 

"Samus?" Ridley guessed. The Iz nodded again angrily. 

"Got it in one. She just wiped out my Spore Spawn experiment on the native plant life, damn her. I spent months on that! Months! Just for that, I'll make her death nice and slow when she gets down here." 

"It's what she does." Ridley shrugged. "Ruin things for us. I think that's her main goal in life; continually screwing everything up for the Space Pirates. And she's good at it; you gotta admit that." 

"True." Kraid agreed. "It's really too bad she's coming after me first... I'd have liked to have had her kill Phantoon and Draygon before I squish her. Just to even things up between those two and me." 

"She probably could, too." Ridley grinned. "She's a tough one... it's a real shame she hates us so much. We would OWN the galaxy if she was on our side. But when I offered her the job back when we first met, she just laughed." 

"Hold on a sec..." Kraid grunted as he pulled up some files. "Let's see here... Phantoon did some digging on Aran. Turns out that before the Chozo took her in, all her family were killed in one of our attacks. The space cruiser _Pykasye_." 

"_Pykasye, Pykasye..._" Ridley thought, tapping his claws. "About... twenty-five or so years back, give or take a couple, I believe. Ezer & Garan's father, Zeral, was in charge of that operation. Well, that would do it, I suppose. Explains why Aran always goes after us... what a waste of talent." He sighed. Kraid raised his center eyebrow. 

"You almost sound like you admire her, Rid." 

"I'm a Drakar, Kraid." Ridley reminded his friend. "Combat and worthy opponents are very important to us. Samus Aran is the only creature who's ever beaten me since I was a whelp, not once, but twice. Hell, my dad would tear himself out of his grave, hijack a shuttle, fight his way down here and strangle me if I didn't show her some respect. It won't stop me from killing her in a fight next time we meet, though, if you were wondering that. Battle respect encourages it, actually." 

"Good." Kraid grunted. "Still, don't tell this to Draygon. Or Phantoon." 

"Oh, Nodal no." Ridley agreed. "Those stinking sneaks wouldn't understand battle respect if it bit them on the ass." He sighed. "I'd better get back to work. See ya later, Kraid." The Iz smiled. 

"Later, Rid." The screen went blank. 

*** 

"Well, this is just great." Samus groaned. She was standing back in a pollen tunnel... at a dead-end. The only thing there was a discarded Zebbo nest. Sighing, Samus sat down on it... and fell through it, down a long shaft. "Oh, that's a cute trick..." She landed right in front of a Chozo statue. "On second thought, I want more tricks like that!" The statue held a welcome gift; Super Missiles, the next level in artillery. "About time I got a tank of these." This was the first time she had gotten her hands on a Super Missile tank; the Chozo had used them in a different, more complex way, and the Federation had only discovered them recently and built them in a form that used ammunition. Grabbing the Super Missile tank, Samus exited through the door behind her. A few more Zebbo nests later, the bounty hunter found a green doorway. "Level 3 security doorway... good thing I found these." She opened the door with a Super Missile. Through it was what seemed to be a dead-end, save for one metal block in the wall. She scanned it. "Cordite. I repeat my previous statement." She disposed of it with the same weapon, Morph Balled, and traversed the tunnel, continuing onward once she came out. The bounty hunter dropped down to a lower floor, then stopped as she heard a crunch. 

"What was that?" Looking down, she discovered that she had stepped on a Missile Tank buried in the pollen. "Bonus!" Moving on, she saw a hill of pollen. There was a small space between the top and the ceiling for her to Morph Ball throuhg, but also, at the bottom, there was what seemed to be hardened lump of the pollen. She Bombed it and crawled through... and fell into a hidden chamber. Uncurling, she found another Chozo Statue. "Come on, beam upgrade... Missiles are nice, but I really need to get something better than my normal Power Beam." Her hopes were answered; the Chozo Statue held the Charge Beam. "I didn't know they had these on Zebes... must have overlooked them on my first trip through." Unlike every other beam, the Charge Beam was a supplement to each type that allowed Samus to charge up a more powerful blast, as its name suggested. Returning to the main path, Samus opened another green door and smiled. Finally, she was out of the pollen tunnels and surrounded by green jungle once more. The downside however, was that this section was infested with bugs, both the nesting Geegas and the predatory Sidehoppers. Fortunately, her new charged blast was more than adequate to destroy them. Whistling a tune as she skipped downhill, she saw a portcullis with a beam-target above it. The bounty hunter shrugged and opened it, then walked through... and jumped as it slammed shut behind her. 

"One-way... dammit." Irritably killing a couple more Sidehoppers, Samus advanced to a tunnel inhabited by nasty, walking cacti. Disposing of them as well, she moved on. She immediately stepped back in shock. "What the hell?" For a moment, she thought she had accidentally strayed into Norfair. There was no sign of any plant life, and the walls and ground were red and dry. It was like... "A drought? Geez... Kraid probably hates this. First time me and that creep agree on something..." Falling down a long vertical shaft, Samus dodged armored Rippers and landed between a green and a blue door. "Go after the more important door." Using her second-to-last Super Missile, she opened the green door and found an Energy Station, which would completely recharge all her energy tanks. It was a quick fix on repairing damage. Actual physical damage would have to be taken care of back at her ship. Returning to the path onward, the bounty hunter found some small, stagnant pools of water. "Is this the only water in this place?" A bit of dust fell on her head. "Eh?" Looking up, she saw a overhead ledge, too high for her to reach. She made a mental note to come back, and went on, jumping over snakelike Yapping Maws and entering a damp tunnel. 

"Looks like the drought's over... WHOA!" She had emerged into a Galdezium tube, deep underwater. Her map didn't show this room; a break between the rest of Brinstar and the section labeled Kraid's Lair. "Huh... bizarre." Shrugging, she went on; this could be dealt with later. At the end of the tunnel was an elevator, going down. There was only one place it could lead. "Norfair." Samus muttered as she rode it down. Norfair was a land of lava caverns, of heat and flame in the deepest recesses of the planet. It was also Ridley's favorite hangout. "Let's hope I don't run into him..." She said to herself as she dropped down the vertical shaft that it seemed every elevator led to, trying doors as she went. She was thus rather unfortunately reminded that most of Norfair was hot enough to cook her in her power suit. "I'm gonna need the Varia Suit before I can go through most of these places..." She sighed as she reached the bottom of the shaft and the last two doors. "The red one first." Inside was a much better surprise than lava; another Energy Tank, just lying there. "Cool... but this smells bad." Taking it, she turned and saw the door had sealed itself. "Shit." Looking around, she found a passage in the floor and crawled through it. On the other end was a door with a high ledge over it, once again too high to reach. "Doesn't look like I've got much of a choice." Entering the door, she found yet another Chozo Statue, this one holding High Jump Boots. Walking back out, Samus tried them out and clambered onto the ledge. From there, she took a hidden tunnel back into the main vertical shaft, nabbing another Missile Tank on the way. Then, it was back up to Brinstar. 

"Let's see what's up there above those pools..." The bounty hunter got off the elevator and turned to leave, but stopped. "Are those..." Inspecting the back of the elevator room, she discovered that it was built out of Cordite, which Super Missiles could destroy. "In a moment..." Returning to the pools of water in the drought section, Samus jumped up to the overhanging ledge she had seen earlier and found a Chozo Statue. "Brinstar's just full of these things, isn't it? I just hope it's not another Torizo..." It was not. The statue held the Spazer Beam, an enhanced version of her Power Beam that fired three blasts at once. "Not as good as the Wave or Ice Beams, but it'll do." Returning to the elevator room, Samus blew out the back wall with her last Super Missile. On the other side was a slimy blue cavern; the main feature was a hideous gargoyle high on the far wall. Through its gaping maw, Samus could see a door. Below it was written "Kraid's Lair." 

"It's time for a reunion with the reptile." Samus whispered as she jumped into the lair. She found herself inside mechanical tunnels, ancient and decrepit; whatever they were originally designed for hadn't been used in ages. Now, the halls were home to various scientific experiments. Samus ignored them, moving through the yellowed tunnels with a grim single-mindedness. More of the sentient flying insects she had encountered near Spore Spawn and green-armored Zebesians dived at her, shrieking threats, but she Missiled them all. Before long, the bounty hunter emerged in a very long, spacious hall of green metal. Halfway down, the ceiling lowered and had several metal blades sticking out, with a pair of purple jewels set evenly above. The effect was of the upper jaw of some giant beast. And at the end of the hall... was a fat, green Iz, slightly taller than a human, who was bald. 

"Samus Aran! I kill you! You die!" It bellowed, launching its abdominal spikes at her. Samus frowned and advanced on it, jumping and ducking the salvos. 

"I've been through this routine before..." During her first trip to Zebes, Kraid had attempted to trick her with a clone of himself. It was much weaker, and as dumb as a stump, but it had almost worked. This Iz had all the marks of the same thing. Reaching it, Samus fired a pair of Missiles. The Iz screamed and died. "Yup. Just a pathetic clone." She walked through the door, stepping on the corpse as she passed. The next chamber had several spikebeds on the ceiling and floor, as well as another overhanging ledge. Up there was a room containing both an Energy Station and a Missile Station. Refilling, Samus then dropped back down and crossed the room. She frowned; before the door was a mass of small, green scavenger bugs. As she approached, they flew off in flight. Samus immediately wished they hadn't. It was Falcon. 

"Oh, god..." Running over to his side, the bounty hunter saw that her friend had been impaled on a huge spike, as big as she was. She removed the helmet and confirmed it; the dead man was Falcon beyond any doubts. "You idiot... I tried to warn you..." She stumbled away, trying not to throw up, and felt tears coming to her eyes. The voice of old Ekhwo, her Chozo tutor came to her. 

_I sense a kindness in you, young one, something that the most fearsome warriors in the galaxy do not have... no matter how many times you see death, the end of a close friend will never become a casual thing to you... I both admire, and pity you for this..._

"Dammit..." Samus felt her grief turning to anger. "That's twice Kraid has ruined the life of one of my friends..." Forcing herself to stop crying, she returned to Falcon and arranged the corpse in a position of repose, then incinerated him with her Power Beam. "I'm sorry I can't give you a burial... but I'm not going to just leave you for the bugs to chew over. And I will avenge you... I swear it." She checked her ammo. "30 Missiles and 5 Supers... it'll do. Time to pay the piper, Kraid..." She walked over to the door. Before she could enter, though, it transformed into a grey, fleshy lump. "What the-?" The lump split down the middle, revealing a golden eye, which began firing at her. "Some kind of door guard... you won't stop me." Three Missiles destroyed it, and Samus entered. It was a long, narrow hall; a few feet away from the door, the floor was covered in foot-long thorns up to the last few feet. 

"All right, Kraid, where are you?" Samus growled, looking around for any signs of life. There were none. "Damn... could he have gone somewhere-" She broke off as the entire room began shaking, as if some massive earthquake was striking. And then, in a colossal spray of earth, a humongous, three-eyed, bald reptilian head emerged from the thorns! It was Kraid... and he looked to be the size of a building! As Samus stumbled backwards, unable to speak from shock, the Iz forced his arms up and used them to pull himself out up to his chest. He yawned, and his eyes shone. 

"Samus Aran... I was having a nice nap before you showed up." He looked down at her. "You look surprised, Samus. It's been a long time... have you no words of greeting for an old friend?" He laughed. 

"...Kraid? What... what..." She stammered. The Iz laughed even louder. 

"Speechless, Samus? Is it because of my size? A new look, I know. After Draygon and Phantoon revived me from the dead using my own technology, I cooked up a remarkable new steroid. I call it Sys-Gro. I'm sure you can see its effects for yourself. Impressed?" 

"Very nice." Samus growled, finally recovering. "You came up with a way to increase your weight even more. You're a friggin' genius. Be that as it may, this doesn't change a thing; I'm going to take you down again. This time, for Falcon." Kraid blinked. 

"Falcon? Who...? Oh. Was he that little bounty hunter I killed? Friend of yours, was he? Too bad. Well, you'll be seeing him again soon, little miss hunter!" Lunging forward, he swiped at her. Samus jumped the clumsy attempt and responded with her Spazer Beam. The triple blast fizzled away harmlessly. "HA! Sys-Gro does more than increase my size, Samus! Your beams are useless against me!" Hacking, he spat a stream of boulders at her. She blew them out of the air. 

"Okay, then. Try this!" Samus snarled as she fired a Missile. Kraid howled as it exploded... doing little visible damage. 

"OW! That smarts! That's a little better, I'll admit... maybe if you had a couple hundred of those, you could give me a deep wound!" He clawed at her again, and Samus jumped back, thinking fast. 

_This is no good... I need a better plan of attack. Damned steroid... wait!_ She saw Kraid open his mouth for another spray of rocks, and seized the moment. Before he could release the attack, Samus leaped into the air, and fired a Super Missile straight down his throat. A moment later, there was an explosion, and Kraid screamed in pain. "Ha! Not so well-armored on the inside, are you?" 

"Why you little..." The angry Iz fumed. "That's it! No more games! You DIE now!" The rumbling began again, and with a massive lurch, Kraid's entire body rose from the thorns, smashing the ceiling into rubble and opening up a much larger space. The Iz was over five stories high. "Scared yet, Samus?" 

"You wish, lardo!" Samus jumped onto a piece of the previous, lower ceiling that was still attached to the walls. Kraid, unimpressed, began firing his abdominal spikes, each over six feet long. Samus hurdled one and shot another Missile at Kraid. He opened his mouth to yell from the sting, and she fed him another Super Missile. Furious, the Iz slammed her off her perch, onto the thorns. She struggled back onto ground. "Cheap shot, Kraid!" 

"Oh, and blasting my insides with your Super Missiles isn't?" Kraid countered as he began employing his detachable boomerang claws. When Samus returned to her high ledge, the air was literally full of deadly projectiles. She dodged a claw only to get scraped by one of the same abdominal spikes that had killed poor Falcon. Returning fire, Samus hit her enemy with another Missile. Kraid hissed, but kept his jaws closed, fighting his instinct. Samus frowned. 

"Well, big boy, let's see how tough you are when I do THIS!" Jumping as high as possible, Samus blasted off three Missiles, one at each of his eyes. Though the orbs were not punctured, Kraid screamed anyways, and Samus silenced him with a third Super Missile. But it was not enough; the reptilian jaws clamped shut, and the look in Kraid's eyes made it clear that no matter what pain she caused, and despite the incredible internal pain he must have been undergoing, he was not opening his mouth again. Samus suddenly found herself in very real danger. No matter where she turned, there was a scything boomerang claw or an impaling abdominal spike. Samus' attacks no longer had any effect, and her Energy Tanks were being drained at an alarming rate. Finally, the bounty hunter realized there was only one, desperate chance. Gathering all her courage, Samus dodged a claw and jumped forward... straight at Kraid's face. Totally surprised by this completely unexpected action, Kraid lost control for a moment... and opened his jaws. Samus landed in the Iz's mouth, and with a battle cry, gave him her last two Super Missiles, right between the tonsils. 

_This is it... all or nothing. If this doesn't kill him, he'll bite me in half._ She heard the explosions, and strained to hear a whine, a curse, some noise that would signify Kraid's death. There was none. _NO!_ The bounty hunter tensed up, waiting for the death... and none came. Cautiously, she opened her eyes. There was no movement at all from Kraid. Samus walked to the edge of the mouth and looked up over it. Kraid's three eyes, once bright as jewels, were now dim and dark. He had died without a sound. And now, he was tipping over. Samus jumped out just before the massive Iz smashed into the ground, destroying every single one of the thorns. 

"Phew... that was WAY too close." Samus mopped her brow as she looked at Kraid. A great deal of blood was now pooling out of his open maw. The bounty hunter took a scan, then a couple of pictures, to submit for the bounty. It was then that she saw the door in the back of the room. "What's behind there, I wonder?" She noticed a sign. "V-Level Armor. Could that mean...?" Opening the door, she went in and found a single thing inside. The Varia Suit upgrade. Taking it into her hands, Samus felt its energy infuse her entire body. With a blinding flash, her Chozo Power Suit was altered, becoming more armored, acquiring an orange color. Samus smiled. 

"Norfair, here I come." 


	5. Chapter 4: Depths and Surfaces, Killers ...

**__**

Chapter 4: Depths and Surfaces, Killers and Ghosts 

"KRAID IS DEAD!!!" Ridley shrieked at the top of his lungs as he burst into the meeting chamber. Draygon and Phantoon, who were already positioned around the table, jerked around to look at him in surprise. 

"Kraid has fallen?" Mother Brain demanded. "Samus Aran has killed him once more? Even with his Sys-Gro enhanced body?" Ridley nodded silently. "Damn that bounty hunter to a million hells! Will nothing ever stop her?! She continues to ruin our plans even now!" 

"So, Kraid has failed again..." Draygon said. He shook his head with a sorrowful expression on his face, trying his utmost to disguise the evil joy that was running through him. "Poor, poor Kraid... Aran is truly a nightmare. We join you in grieving for the loss of our dear brother, Ridley, and we eagerly await the day he shall be reborn anew with his own technology. Let us all vow here and now that Aran will pay tenfold for his death!" Ridley glared at him, not convinced in the least but not wanting to do anything under Mother Brain's gaze. Phantoon spoke as well. 

"It is truly a shame that Kraid has died, Ridley. But take heart; he shall not remain dead forever. It is as Draygon said; Kraid's own technology will serve to return him to life, even as it did to you both before. Do not be so shocked; we all knew Kraid's combat skills were not his strongest point. He was a scientest at heart, not a fighter, so it can hardly be considered surprising that he fell to Aran, now can it?" 

"Watch your mouth, you insolent little squid..." Ridley hissed, eyes beginning to glow red. Phantoon continued, his glee at his most hated rival's death overrunning his good sense. 

"No, Kraid's true achievements were in his works of science, feats which we shall forever remember him by... the cloning procedure, which creates brainless and pathetic copies of lifeforms... the revival chambers, which consume so many resources to activate that they can only be used for us alone... and the Sys-Gro supersteroid, which he himself took into his final battle with Aran. Truly a shame that that failed him as well, resulting in his death... perhaps Sys-Gro isn't as grand an achievement as he had us believing it was after all..." 

"Phantoon..." Draygon warned. Even he saw the danger the Elocto was placing himself in. But his partner continued on heedless, unaware of the threat. 

"Poor Kraid... even his scientific achievements were not enough to save him. They were failures as well... and by association, perhaps Kraid was as well. Unskilled enough in fighting to be killed by Aran... unable to create inventions that would do the job... what did Kraid have that was a success? I can't think of a thing... so it appears that brother Kraid was truly a fail-AIIIEEE!!!" Phantoon had gone too far. Ridley's tolerance had finally snapped. The Drakar had lunged forward and slammed Phantoon against the wall, pinning him there as his claws dug cruelly into the helpless Elocto's flesh. All traces of humor and manners were gone from Ridley now. In their place was an enraged, vicious and VERY dangerous killer, who glared at the now-terrified Phantoon with eyes that shone red with fury. 

"Don't you EVER talk like that about Kraid again, you gutless, sniveling little worm. Or I swear, I will rip you into a thousand chunky bits of gore and feed them to the KiHunters." Phantoon nodded, unable to speak as the cascades of sweat running down him mixed with the blood from the wounds. Then Draygon leaped onto Ridley's back, attempting to restrain him. 

"That's enough, Ridley!" 

"Ridley, ENOUGH!" Mother Brain yelled in agreement, exasperated. Ridley shrugged and threw the Evir off, then released Phantoon and turned to him, his personality returning. 

"Brother Draygon... for the sake of all of us, the Space Pirates as a whole, and especially for his own personal safety.. can you PLEASE keep your squid leashed?" Draygon didn't respond; he helped Phantoon back up, and the two of them departed, Draygon whispering reassurances to the still-shaking Elocto. After they were gone, Mother Brain spoke to Ridley again. 

"That was a foolish thing to do, Ridley. You know how they are allied against you; without Kraid, you stand alone against the both of them. This foolish quarreling among the four of you aggravates me to no end." Ridley smirked. 

"I'm not afraid of Phantoon and Draygon, milady. Those two are no threat to me whatsoever, believe me. But anyways... now that they're gone, there is something else I wish to discuss with you." 

"Yes?" She asked. "What is the problem?" 

"It's that new agent... Crocomire, from the Far Side. Quite frankly, milady, I think we might have made a mistake taking him in. I can't give him orders; I don't think he even speaks Galactic, and if he did, I'm pretty sure he wouldn't listen anyways. Just a short while ago he tried to take a bite out of me! Granted, I was attempting to communicate in Mydiene and accidentally said something rather unpleasant to him, but still. If any Zebesian, KiHunter or Evir attacked one of us, they'd be dead instantly no matter what the cause was. He's completely uncontrollable by anybody except yourself, milady." 

"Crocomire is no problem." She assured him. "I have complete control of him; he follows all of my orders without fail. What else is needed in a servant, after all, my faithful Drakar? Do not concern yourself with Crocomire any more; I will handle him myself. You may go now, Ridley." 

"As you wish, milady." The Drakar bowed and departed, taking the elevator back up to Crateria. As he journeyed through the caverns, a pair of metallic Zebesians fell into step with him out of the shadows. Ridley showed no reaction to this aside from a smile, but he began speaking. 

"So, boys. How are my compatriats doing?" 

"Phantoon's shaking like a leaf." Ezer reported. "You must have done something to really scare him, boss. Draygon looked really angry, though. You might want to watch your back around him for a while, boss. He might try something, especially if Aran offs Phantoon." 

"I've been watching my back around Draygon ever since he joined up." Ridley shrugged. "Speaking of Samus, what is our little bounty hunter doing now, hmm?" Garan frowned. 

"She's gone into Norfair, boss. She got the Varia Suit off of Kraid, so the heat don't bother her anymore." 

"Wish I had some heat right about now." Ridley shivered as the three Pirates emerged into the open and rain began hitting them. "Still raining. Why am I not surprised by this. I hate this place. I absolutely hate it. Well, let Samus nose around in Norfair. She won't be able to get to my lair yet, so it's no problem to me. I'm not territorial like Draygon. Come on now, less talk and more walk. I want to get back down there and feel the warmth again ASAP." 

*** 

"YAH! Get off me, you parasites!" Samus fired a Super Missile and destroyed the five bloodsucking insects. Shaking her head, she pried an Energy Tank out of the ceiling and left. :"I hate leeches." She went all the way back out of Kraid's Lair and jumped down to the elevator to Norfair. The bounty hunter cautiously stepped into a lava-filled room, waited a moment, and smiled. Her Varia Suit offered enough heat protection; it was still hot, but she wasn't being cooked in her suit any more. Samus set off across the lava river, careful not to fall in; her Varia suit was good, but not THAT good. It was good enough for her to grab a sunken Missile Tank out of the lava before it was destroyed, though. Before long, she came to a room built of green bubbles. However, all the doors were too high up for her to reach. Samus picked a Missile Tank, then looked around. 

"I didn't come all this way just to turn back..." After careful examination, she found a secret tunnel in the floor, which led to a pair of doors, one in the wall and one in the floor. She chose the latter first, climbing down another vertical shaft and crossing another river of lava. Lava-dwelling dragons spat it at her, and she avoided them. As she crossed a break in the river, the bounty hunter saw a hole in the ground that led down to a yellow door. "Yellow? What security level is THAT? Whatever it is, I won't be able to open it... guess I'll have to come back later." She moved back onto the river, then stopped as she heard a rumbling. Her fears were confirmed when she looked over the edge. The lava was rising. 

"DAMMIT!" Running to the end of the cave, Samus launched herself up a shaft. Before long, she had left the lava far behind, and settled back down, destroying more of those annoying dragons as she climbed. A door led into a ledge high above a chamber; she could see a gate on the other side, but the only way across were a series of yellow mechanical lifts. The bounty hunter carefully hopped across and picked up a Missile Tank, then frowned. There was another, similar cavern in front of her, but there were two problems. First, there were no platforms; only a series of what Samus recognized as Grapple Points in the ceiling. Second, the floor was covered in deadly spikes. "Too bad I don't have my Grapple Beam... I'll have to come back here, I guess..." Going back out to the vertical shaft, she reached the top and exited back into the green bubble room, on a much higher level, and entered another high door. It led to a long hall, gradually sloping downward. 

"Hmmm... this smells like a trap." The bounty hunter examined the floor a bit, and nodded. "Breakaway... probably all the way down." She got back up, stopped for a moment, then took off, running down as fast as she could. Underneath her feet, she could hear various sounds; surprised creatures, the burbling of lava, and more, but kept going regardless. So much, in fact, that she smashed right into the door at the end. As it turned out, this was a good thing; the impact shook loose a Missile Tank that had been embedded in the ceiling. Shaking her head to clear out the stars, Samus took it and went in. A Chozo Statue was waiting for her. 

"Hmm... I wonder what's gonna be in here. Another Beam upgrade, maybe? The Wave Beam? Or the Ice Beam? Please let it be the Ice Beam in here..." She opened it and stared. It wasn't anything she had seen before. "...What is this crap?" She picked it up and her suit absorbed it. "Speed Booster? Huh..." Suddenly, she heard a familiar shaking, and looked down with a feeling of dread. Lava was seeping through the bricks. "Oh, HELL." She turned and ran, racing back up the tunnel, knowing in her heart that she wasn't fast enough, that she wasn't going to make it... and then, there was a prismatic flash, and she was at the door. Into the door, actually. "OOF! What the-?" Samus darted out into safety, then stopped and collected her breath. 

"...Whoa. So THAT's what the Speed Booster does..." Shaking her head, Samus dropped back down to the bottom of the green bubble room; the last high door was on the other side of the chamber, unreachable. She entered the secret way in the floor again, this time taking the door in the wall, and into a long hall that she blasted through with her Speed Booster, obliterating blocks, creatures and anything else in her path. She emerged back in the vertical elevator shaft at the start of Norfair. Climbing to near the top, the bounty hunter entered a room that had confounded her earlier, with metal blockers that had dropped down as soon as she approached. The Speed Booster, however, was too much for it. As she blasted through, she suddenly tripped over something, and went flying. "YOW!" She got back up and looked back. It had been a dip in the floor. And at the bottom of it was a strange metal that she recognized all too well. "Bendezium." One of the strongest metals in the galaxy, Bendezium was incredibly tough. The only thing that could break it was a Power Bomb, and she didn't have any. "Something else to come back to." Moving on, Samus came to a mechanical maze. She passed it, though, and found another Chozo Statue. 

"Come on, Ice Beam... come on, Ice Beam... YES!" It was the Ice Beam, a beam upgrade that would give her blasts the power to freeze most creatures solid. "Yeah! Too bad I'll have to unequip the Spazer... huh?" She blinked. She had turned the Ice Beam on, but the Spazer hadn't deactivated. "I can have them... both equipped at once? That's never happened before..." Her Chozo Power Suit had changed itself again, it seemed. "Well, I ain't complaining. Now that I've got this, there's a lead I want to check out..." She went back out and took the elevator back up. In Brinstar, Samus went back to a vertical shaft where there were no platforms uo, but Rippers (creatures which could best be described as hovering turtles) flew back and forth. Samus shot one, and it froze in midair. She nodded. 

"This works." Hopping onto it, she shot another and froze it, then continued on up. At the top, she carefully made her across a dangerous chamber full of hostile flora and fauna. On the other side was something she hadn't expected. Another elevator shaft, that went up. "Hmm... that has to go to Crateria. But I'm not ready to head back up there yet..." Instead, the bounty hunter went into a door and found a Chozo Statue, holding... a Power Bomb Tank. "Whoa..." Power Bombs were the most destructive weapon currently known that could be personally used; they unleashed a huge wave of destructive energy in all directions. Somehow, Samus' Chozo Suit was immune to its effects, which was good. "Bingo." She took it and installed it, then turned to leave... and accidentally dropped one. "Whoops!" The Power Bomb exploded, and to her surprise, the wall behind the statue disappeared, revealed as false. It hid a Missile Tank, which she took, then returned to Norfair and opened up the Bendezium in the floor she had tripped over earlier. The bounty hunter dropped down a few levels, picking up a Missile Tank as she did, and saw another long hall sloping down, which she blasted through with the Speed Booster. At the end were several doors; she took the one in the floor, dropping into a narrow hall. "Dammit..." Right in front of her was a spiked wall that completely blocked the way. 

"_Yt etzsabos? Pykap Ysyt?_" A voice behind her screeched in surprise. Samus turned to see a heavy, thick-skinned reptile with four legs and two spindly arms. What was unusual, though, was the creature's long snout with eight smooth, grey eyes all down its length. Samus frowned. 

"An Allgor from the far side..." She blinked as realization came to her. "You're the serial killer, Crocomire!" 

"_Pi, uia ntif fvi E yk..._" Crocomire hissed. "_Fojj zvot, uia ntif fvi pvyjj nejj uia!_" He began moving forward. Samus frowned. 

"You only speak Mydiene? Well, I don't need to understand your talk to know what you want... heads up!" She blasted him with her beam... and it did nothing. Neither did Missiles. Crocomire laughed. 

"_Giijepv xiatzu vatzos! Ku vebo ep ekqotozsyxjo!_" Samus looked into the beast's open maw, and remembered an idea. 

"It worked on Kraid..." She jumped up and launched a Super Missile into his mouth. The killer gagged and backed away, but seemed to suffer no damage. Samus groaned. However, he immediately ran forward again, and she blinked. "Huh... something back there you don't like?" She grinned. "Well then, let's get you back there!" Crocomire glared at her hatefully. 

"_Uia pvyjj todos-YRN!_" Another Super Missile made him stumble back again. It seemed it was an involuntary reaction that he couldn't stop. The battle continued on; Crocomire showed an ability to spit clods of acid, but Samus kept up the attack, forcing him further and further back with each hit. Finally, they reached the back of the tunnel, and Samus saw what frightened the killer. The ground ended, at the shore of a lava river. 

"So, your skin's not tough enough to stand that, eh?" Grinning, she blasted his maw once more. Crocomire's legs pedaled, and he walked back, onto the very edge. The Allgor stood there on the edge for several seconds, arms wheeling as he tried to stop himself from tipping over. Then Samus gave him a tiny push, and with a wail, he fell in. Screaming, Crocomire tried to jump out, but he was too heavy; he couldn't get back up. Desperately, he stretched out a claw towards Samus, even as the lava began to take its deadly effect. 

"_Xiatzu vatzos! Vojq ko!_" Though she didn't speak Mydiene, Samus knew what he was saying. He was pleading for mercy. The bounty hunter looked down at him coldly with no pity in her eyes. 

"No... I don't think so. I've seen the news... seen what the corpses of your victims look like. As far as I'm concerned, you're getting exactly what you deserve. Enjoy your swim." And then she turned her back on him, even as the flesh began to slowly, agonizingly melt off of his bones... 

"Well, back up, I guess." Samus sighed. As she was about to exit the room, however, the spiked wall exploded, and through it lurched... SOMETHING. Crocomire's skeleton, devoid of anything but bone, lurched at her in one final attack... and then, with a sigh, collapsed into a pile of loose bones. Samus felt the sweat run down her brow. 

"Ugh... Well, THAT was unexpected..." 

*** 

"Easy, Phantoon... easy..." Draygon told his friend as the two of them entered the Wrecked Ship of Crateria, Phantoon's Lair. "How are you doing?" 

"I'm fine, Draygon." Phantoon assured him. "Don't worry. Ridley's not nearly as tough as he thinks he is. They're just flesh wounds; look, I'm not even bleeding any more." Draygon smiled; he knew the Elocto was only putting on a brave face to hide how shaken he had been, but he approved. 

"Good. The last thing we want is for you to have to go up against Aran while hurt. I wish she would take out Ridley again; then we'd be free of both him and Kraid." He sighed. "Unfortunately, it probably ain't happening. She won't be able to make it to Ridley's Lair with just the Varia Suit. She'll be coming back up and going for one of us." 

"Well, then, that'll be the end of the line for miss Aran." Phantoon grinned evilly. "You got Maridia ready for her?" 

"My clan's on full alert, and I've got a squad of G-Level Zebesians ready to kill." He told his partner. "What about you?" 

"Oh, don't worry about me." Phantoon's grin grew even wider. "I've got plenty of friends just waiting to tear her apart." 

"The ghosts, you mean?" Draygon shuddered. "How can you stand this place? It disturbs me, and trust me, that's hard to do."   
"It suits me." The Elocto shrugged. "Anyways, all I have to do is get rid of the power in here, and the ghosts'll be here." Draygon blinked. 

"And how, exactly, do you plan to do that?" 

"Simple." Phantoon raised a tentacle. "You forget, Draygon, that my species have the ability to drain electrical power with our tentacles. Most of us have to have the tips removed before we can leave the planet; it's galactic law. But I managed to sneak off without having that operation. I just drain the power, and poof, Koben ghosts everywhere. They hate and are jealous of anything living. Aran won't stand a chance." The Evir thought for a moment, then frowned. 

"I think I've found a flaw in your plan, Phantoon. If the ghosts will attack anything living, what's to keep them from going after you?" 

"You forget my species' other unique ability, Draygon." Phantoon closed his eye, shimmered and vanished, but his voice continued speaking. "The power to 'phase out' onto the ethereal plane, which the ghosts are part of. They think of me as one of them, as a strange sort of ghost. I'll be fine." 

"You think of everything, don't you?" Draygon asked. Phantoon phased back in and shrugged. 

"I try." 

"Well, you are the most cunning of us..." The Evir complimented his friend. "Ridley likes to think he is, but he's really just a fighter at heart. Kraid's brains were all in his laboratory." 

"And you?" Phantoon asked, amused. Draygon shook his head. 

"Me? Naaah. Never claimed to be. I'm just a simple torturer, Phantoon. I know where to hurt people to make them scream the most. I always leave the planning and such to you. Always did, even in the old days." 

"The old days..." Phantoon murmured, reminiscing. "Back before we joined the Pirates... back when we were just Phantoon the Thief and Dray the Torturer. Those were the days... we weren't top-of-the-line wanted by any means, but we did well enough. I pulled off some really good heists, and you..." 

"I was the bane of corrupt politicians everywhere." Draygon chuckled. "That is to say, all politicians. We had lots of fun... but then my dad died, and my brother was killed in a clan war, and suddenly I, the runt, was the chief of my clan. That's when everything changed... Evir law said all the clanmembers have to follow the same profession as their chief. They did all right as lawyers under my dad, but when they came to us, there was a bit of a problem. An entire clan full of torturers?" He shuddered. "Not good. Not good at all. We were at our wits' end." 

"Then mom came..." Phantoon picked up the memory. "She nabbed us like Skultera in a barrel, you know. We had to provide some means of career for your clan, and couldn't find a way that would work. Then she found us. We had made enough of a name for ourselves that other crooks were telling tales about us, and when she heard about our clan troubles... well. Didn't take a brain the size of a ship to tell that here was a golden opportunity. And she took it." 

"It was a good deal, though." Draygon admited. "We got postions at the top of the Space Pirate hierarchy, with Kraid and Ridley, second only to mom herself, as well as jobs for all of my clan. She got a full aquatic force, plus the best thief and the best torturer in the galaxy. The only downside was having to work with that pair of reptiles... that, and Aran..." His face became grim. "Phantoon... we can't lose to her, you know." 

"Huh?" Phantoon looked confused. "What are you talking about, Draygon? I thought that was obvious. For one, I'd imagine dying hurts like hell. For another, have you SEEN the bounties they've got on us? It would kill me twice over to contribute to her payroll that much." 

"I mean we REALLY can't lose to her. Think about it." Draygon explained. "Both Ridley and Kraid have been killed by Aran twice now. Neither of us have even once. Ever since the first time she assaulted Zebes, that's been our primary advantage over them. If she kills us, even once, we'll lose that. That would be completely intolerable. We HAVE to beat her." 

"You make a very good point." Phantoon conceded. "Very well then, we agree. Whichever one of us Aran goes after, we will make sure that she does not survive to leave again." Draygon nodded. 

"I'm afraid chances are she'll be going after you first, my friend. After all, this ship is blocking off the only way into Maridia. In order to get through to me, she'll have to go through you." 

"You're right, I guess." Phantoon sighed. "Well then, I'd better start draining the power out of here. You should probably leave now... the Koben ghosts won't harm me, but they would have no such compunctions about bringing you over to their side." Draygon groaned. 

"That's a ghastly thought. Me as a ghost. I wonder if I'd still have to be stuck with the job of Clan Chief. I wouldn't put it past them. It's a shame the position is carried over until death with no exceptions; otherwise I'd abdicate." He shrugged. "Well, no sense wasting time whining over what I can't change. I'll see you later then, Phantoon." The Evir crawled away, and Phantoon turned to the main generator, plunging his tentacles into the machine. 

"Might as well get started..." 

*** 

"Wait for it... wait for it..." Samus whispered to herself as she watched the pit of lava slowly lower. The moment it exposed some small rocky islands, she dashed across and grabbed the Missile Tank on the opposite side, then darted back before it rose again. "Simple, but effective." She returned to the previous room and climbed down into a long hall. Strewn around the floor were several lumps of Bendezium. "Let's get this junk cleared out to start..." The bounty hunter Power Bombed the mess, then looked around. One end of the hall led to a dead-end; the other opened into a huge, spacious chamber over a lava lake. Way over on the far side of it, a door was on a ledge high up on the wall. A fallen marble pillar created a ramp towards the lava. Samus thought for a moment, then smiled, realizing the possibilities of her new Speed Booster. Moving to the dead-end of the hall, she turned and ran towards the ramp at full speed. The prismatic effect kicked in, and when she hit the ramp, she blasted through the air and smashed through the door at approximately 100 MPH. After she was done picking herself back up, the bounty hunter found a Chozo Statue. 

"Let's see... whoa." Samus blinked. "The Grapple Beam..." One of the newest Federation inventions was an energy-based grappling hook, that allowed users to hook onto special points and swing across. However new it was, she had discovered on Tallon IV that the Chozo had created it earlier. "This should come in handy..." Climbing to the top of the room, the bounty hunterused the Grappling Beam to cross a pool of water and froze a few wall-dwelling Funes before pulling herself up a floor, again with the Grappling Beam. She then grappled across a couple more pools and blew open a one-way gate to emerge near Crocomire's chamber. Grabbing another Power Bomb Tank on the way with the help of a Ripper, Samus reentered the room and walked past Crocomire's bleached bones. As she was about to climb back up, though, she glanced over to the lava shore that had spelled the serial killer's doom, and realized something. The ceiling was covered in grappling points. 

"I wonder what's over there..." Crossing, Samus was delighted to find a fourth Energy Tank. She took it, then returned and headed back up, continuing upwards. "I've had just about enough of Norfair for a while... don't want to run into Ridley without being ready for him." Grappling across a huge lava pit, she grabbed a Missile Tank in front of a one-way gate, which she opened to emerge back inside the main elevator shaft upward. As she was about to depart back to Brinstar, the bounty hunter paused. "Wait... one more thing I gotta check out first." Taking the path she had embarked upon at the start of her journey into Norfair, Samus soon came to the area of the green bubbles, and from there the large, spacious cavern where she had seen grapple points before in the ceiling. Now that she had the Grapple Beam, Samus easily swung across. A Chozo Statue awaited her. 

"Hmmm... another Beam upgrade, perhaps?" Samus mused as she opened it. She was dead on the money; the statue held the Wave Beam, an electricity-based beam that could actually shoot through walls to hit things on the other side. "Looks like those one-way gates won't be so one-way anymore..." She absorbed the upgrade, then closed her eyes and gritted her teeth as she activated it without switching any of the others off. Nothing happened. She fired, and the blast flew with the crackle of electricity added to the effects of the other Beams. Samus smiled. "Looks like there's no problem with adding the Wave Beam to the mix... I like the way the suit's handling beams this time around." Returning to the green bubble room, Samus was about to depart, when she noticed something. Tiny, gliding creatures called Wavers flew around the room, and with the Ice Beam, she could freeze them in midair to create a platform to access a previously unreachable door. The bounty hunter thought about it for a moment only, then sighed and hopped on up. Inside, a large, predatory Garuta insect guarded a Missile Tank over a lava pool. Samus blasted the bug, took the tank, and turned to leave... then stopped. 

"Something doesn't smell right about this room..." She muttered, looking around it. "Well, when in doubt, blow shit up!" With those words of wisdom, she set a Power Bomb. The explosion revealed a secret passage in the far wall, which she entered. The bounty hunter was faced with a lava lake, with only small stepping stones, and hostile dragonlike creatures waiting in the molten goo. On the other side, though, was one of the artifact orbs normally held by Chozo Statues. Making her way across, Samus was pleased to discover that the dragons were vulnerable to the Ice Beam, and once frozen, could be used as stepping stones themselves. On the other side, she opened the orb and found... something completely unknown to her. "Huh?" The item looked kind of like an Energy Tank, but not exactly. Her suit absorbed it. "Hmm... Reserve Tank? Wonder what that is? I'll have the ship check on it once I get back there..." Turning to leave, Samus jumped onto the first stepping-stone, and tripped, nearly plunging headlong into the lava. "What the-?" Checking, she discovered that it actually contained a Missile Tank, which she took. With that taken care of, the bounty hunter quickly made her way back to the main elevator shaft, leading back up to the jungles of Brinstar. She opened a side room with a Power Bomb, grabbed the map from the Station, then jumped onto the elevator. 

"Well, so long for now, Norfair." Samus said as she rode the platform up. "Don't worry; I'll be back before you know it. Especially for you, Ridley." The elevator hummed upward regardless and soon came to a halt, right outside of Kraid's Lair. "I could just take the long way back up..." She mused. "But I think I know a faster way." She set off on the same path she had taken to find her first Power Bombs. As she climbed up the shaft of Rippers, though, the bounty hunter saw a yellow door she had missed before. "Yellow? Haven't seen THAT security level before... does that mean..." She tried a Power Bomb, and the door opened right up. Samus walked in... and immediately wished she hadn't. The long cavern was very dark; the only soure of illumination were glowing Fire Fleas. The floor was covered in spikes with only small metal blocks being safe to stand on for about fifty feet, then it ended in inky blackness. 

"This looks very dangerous... but the map says there's something important on the other side. Tallyho, then..." Before that, though, a problem presented itself. The Fire Fleas would attack her if she went near them, but if she killed them, there would be no light at all in the dangerous cavern. That would be suicide. Then the solution came to her. She shot each Fire Flea once with her beam, and the Ice Beam froze them in the air, immobilizing them without stopping their precious light. Samus moved past to the edge of the floor. Even this close, she could not see the bottom of the pit. However, she could see the series of grappling points along the ceiling. She could also see the many threats in the way; flying creatures, spikes and snakelike Yapping Maws living in them. "Hmm... I think the best chance of getting through there is... BANZAI!" Blasting forward, she started swinging across as fast as possible, blasting past anything in her way. Flying critters dived, and Yapping Maws snapped, but she was gone before they hit, landing on the other side. "So... what's in here..." A Chozo Statue. And it held... a visor. "Whoa..." Samus muttered, picking it up. She hadn't acquired any variable visors since she had been forced to hand over the ones she had aquired on Tallon IV. Scan Visors were incredibly expensive, and Thermal Visors were only used by the Pirates. Trying it on, however, she discovered that it was the third type, the X-Ray Visor, which none save the Chozo had created. 

"Looks like this cave was inaccessible even to the Pirates... good thing. The LAST thing we need is them getting a hold of this..." Another frantic grappling trip back across, and she climbed all the way up the shaft and took the elevator, grabbing another Power Bomb Tank on the way. Samus emerged in a dank cavern with a yellow door in the ceiling, which she opened with a Power Bomb. Up above, she found more of the giant, mantis-like insectoids from Brinstar. 

"It is Aran! Kill her!" One of them shrieked, diving downwards. Her first shot blew its wings off, her second shot froze it solid, and her third shot killed it. The others weren't much better. After clearing them out, she looked around. She was in a straight tunnel. 

"Let's see... according to the map, my ship is that way..." The bounty hunter wandered down the tunnel, and soon emerged into open space, on a familiar-looking desolate, rocky plain. It was still raining; it didn't look like it would ever stop. "Here we go... and it's about time. I really need a nap..." As she walked towards the place she had left her ship, something... instinct?... compelled Samus to turn. She stared. About a mile away in the direction she had just came from was a huge, looming hulk of a wrecked ship. The derelict looked to be decades old. Its make seemed to be Koben. Now that she actually saw it, she remembered seeing something like this on her map of Crateria. 

"Whoa... I've got to check that out. AFTER sleep." Yawning, she located her invisible ship. "Disengage cloaking device." The air shimmered, and the yellow gunship was there. Climbing in, Samus reset the cloaking device, then checked her messages. "Huh... Horzat? What's he want... to talk?" She shrugged and sent off a reply message, then collapsed onto a bunk. Within moments, she was fast asleep. 

*** 

"Whaddaya mean there's no lohacla left in the store..." Horzat muttered in his sleep. He rolled over as his alarm clock hummed a few low, slow notes followed by the sound of wind blowing, then suddenly blasted into a battle cacophony. The former Space Pirate yelled and fell out of his bed. Cursing like an Egenoid Star Marine, he rose and slammed the thing off. "I can't believe it's noon already... I gotta start going to bed earlier or something." Muttering to himself, he attached his fake leg, grabbed his cane and put on his eyepatch, then exited his living quarters and walked down the stairs to the bar. Entering, he frowned as he heard loud snoring. "What the-?" Following the sound, he soon located its source; a large, heavy Iz trucker under a table, surrounded by empty bottles. He was one of the regulars, and while he was a good pal for the most part, he would never pass up an opportunity for free drinks. "Dammit... missed one. Looks like Hrug here's been helping himself to a lot..." Sighing, Horzat took the drunkard's wallet and dumped him out on the street, then mopped up the spilled drinks. 

"Three hours until opening time... should be enough to get this dump ready." The barkeep began taking stock, checking which drinks he needed to bring out more of. Once he was done, Horzat went out to the stairwell and walked down to a huge, thickly-reinforced, quintuple-locked door. He took two keys out of hidden compartments in his cane, two more out of his leg, and the last from behind the Power Bomb in his eye socket. Inside was an alcoholic's idea of paradise; halls of cases of shelves of barrels of every conceivable alcoholic drink, cascading on seemingly endlessly. Horzat was on a very handsome stipend from the Federation's shadier departments in return for the information on the Metroid plans he had given them when he left the Pirates, a stipend that not even Samus knew about, and he had used it to make sure he would never, ever run out of drinks. That was one of the things that made Horzat's Bar so popular among the transients of Magani; they knew he'd always have what they wanted, even if they didn't know how. 

"They don't come here for my personality, after all..." The Ex-Space Pirate chuckled as he refilled the bottles that needed it. Putting them in their proper places behind the counter, he looked around to make sure everything was clean and all the chairs and tables were in their proper positions, then started up his computer. "Let's see what e-mail I've got... spam... spam... hmm, something from Tazrat..." Tazrat, Horzat's brother, was one of the Grondheim Monks. "I'll look at it later... more spam... and something from Samus... huh?" He blinked and double-clicked on the last e-mail. 

From: Schozo5 To: GrumpyOldZebesian 

Hey, Horzat. Got your message, and to tell you the truth, I was surprised. If I didn't kow better, I would think you almost slightly cared about me. Don't worry about a jamming; the Pirates don't have decent interference up. As a matter of fact, we could probably make a direct connection. I'll be in my ship asleep for the next few hours, so gimme a buzz. 

"Hmm..." Horzat looked at the sign next to his front door that stated he opened at 3, and changed it to 4 before sending a signal to Samus' ship. He was answered by the ship's computer. 

"Samus Aran is asleep at the moment. You have clearance to speak over all ship's speakers. Do you wish to do so?" He thought for a moment, then grinned. 

"Yes. HEY, SAMUS, RIDLEY SAYS YOUR NEXT FIFTY DRINKS ARE ON HIM!" Horzat heard a loud crash followed by some confused cursing, and he laughed. A few minutes later, Samus appeared onscreen. 

"Horzat, I should kill you for that." 

"Hey, you've done worse to me." The Ex-Space Pirate countered. "Remember the time you switched the labels on all my drinks?" 

"Well... yes." Samus conceded grudgingly. 

"And the time you told the Yakuza Amabassadorial Cluster that I was offering free all-you-can-drinks to arachnids?" 

"Yeah, I suppose so..." She groaned. 

"And the time you-" 

"OKAY!" Samus yelled. "Okay, you owe me a few." 

"More than just a few..." Horzat grumbled. "But anyways. How are you doing, Samus? Scoring loads of bounties?" 

"Oh, yes." The female bounty hunter grinned. "Loads of Zebesians, plus that serial killer Crocomire. And somebody else who's gonna make you real happy... Kraid." 

"You killed him again?" Horzat asked, eye lighting up. 

"Yuuuup. Got a really nice picture of him afterwards for the bounty, too. When I get back, you can get it enlarged and framed." 

"YAHOO! Samus, you just made my day!" Horzat actually danced a little jig. "Falcon's gonna be pissed when he hears that you got Kraid before he did... he went to Zebes too, you know. Have you run into him?" 

"..." Samus bowed her head, and Horzat knew something was wrong. 

"What is it, Samus?" 

"Horzat... I'm afraid that... Falcon did get to Kraid before I did..." She whispered. Horzat's eye dimmed. 

"Are you saying that..." 

"I'm afraid so, Horzat..." She nodded somberly. "Falcon is dead... Kraid murdered him." 

"Damn... damn that lizard..." Horzat hissed. "Was it painful?" Samus shook her head. 

"Fortunately, it didn't look like it... he was impaled on a spike. It seemed pretty instantaneous." 

"That's good..." Horzat's eye was steely. "But I wasn't asking about Falcon's death, Samus. Did Kraid die easy?" 

"Not even close." Her own eyes were just as hard. "Trust me... he died VERY painfully. I literally blew him apart from the inside. If they want to revive him again, they're going to have a hell of a time patching his guts back together." The barkeeper sighed. 

"Good. Now, on to less morbid subjects." He intentionally steered her away from Falcon's death. "Where's your next target?" 

"Well, I saw an old, wrecked Koben ship nearby." Samus told him. "My map doesn't show what's inside, but it lists it as Phantoon's lair." 

"Phantoon?" Horzat thought for a moment. "The Elocto? Up on Ridley and Kraid's level?" 

"Correct." She agreed. "Anyways, I'm going in there. If Phantoon IS in that wrecked ship, I'll send him to join Kraid; a meeting with him and Draygon, the fourth Pirate Lord, is way overdue for me. I'd better get going." 

"Well, gimme a call later." Horzat said by way of goodbye. "If ya need somebody to talk to, or just want to hear about what's going on in the galaxy. The Feds are going bonkers." 

"Really?" Samus' face had a wolfish grin on it. "You'll have to tell me more later... this I gotta hear. See ya later, Horzat." The screen blinked out, and the bartender sighed. 

"That girl's going to be either a zillionaire or dead before she hits thirty..." 

*** 

"The Wrecked Ship..." Samus muttered as she grabbed a Missile Tank which some stupid Pirate had left lying on the shoreline. In front of her, lying partially beached in the shallow water like a dead whale washed up, the ancient Koben ship loomed. A massize relic from a bygone era, the ship looked as if it dated back to before the unified Galactic Federation. "No weapons on the outside, so it's not a war vessel... and it's too big to be a personal craft. Probably a freighter..." Whatever the ship's purpose had been before, it was finished now, along with the lives of all the crew onboard. Now, it was just an empty shell of its former self, devoid of all life. "Well, almost all... according to my map, Phantoon's in there." With more than a slight feeling of apprehension, Samus jumped over the waves and onto the ship's dock, grappling over the Skultera-infested waters below. Unfortunately, the rain made the dock wet; on one landing, the bounty hunter slipped and fell into the drink. "DAMMIT!" Icing the carnivorous Skultera fish, Samus made for the shore. Then tripped. "What the-?" Digging through the sand, she came up with a Missile Tank. "Who's in charge of hiding these things, anyways?" Returning to shore, Samus set off across the dock again, this time making it to the airlock safely, and cautiously entering. 

"...Geez, this is creepy..." Samus whispered after several moments. The hall was walled, ceilinged and floored with complex machinery that looked completely undamaged by the crash. By all rights, it should have been alive and moving, lighting the way. Instead, everything was dull and lifeless, the hall pitch-black. As she entered the main stairwell that connected the parts of the ship, something suddenly appeared in front of the bounty hunter, causing her to jerk back with a startled oath. It was grotesque; a cluster of decaying heads fused together, floating in the air and glowing. 

"Leave this place..." The heads moaned. "This is not a place for the living... this is our ship... the ship of the dead... leave, or join us..." 

"A dead Koben...?" Samus wondered. "A... ghost? What am I saying, ghosts aren't real..." Then she remembered the Chozo Ghosts of Tallon IV. THOSE has been real, all right; real enough to nearly kill her in their berserk frenzies. "But wait... hold on a second... if you guys are ghosts, why do you let Phantoon stay here?" 

"We know no Phantoon..." The Koben spirit growled resolutely. "This ship is only for the dead... leave now, or become one of us... no more warnings..." It disappeared. Samus shivered. 

"Man... I hate ghosts. But I've got no choice; no matter what they think, Phantoon's here, and he needs to be taken down." Resolute, she continued down the stairs.There was a whistling noise, and then, a horrendous shriek. 

"YOU WERE WARNED!" A Koben spirit was somehow occupying the same space as Samus, her body going through it like it wasn't there, and everywhere they touched, she felt the life slowly being sucked from her bones. Screaming, she jumped away, turned and fired her blaster, which like her body, simply passed through the Koben. It vanished, and a moment later, reappeared on her again with the whistling noise. The bounty hunter jerked loose and tried a Missile, but it didn't do anything, and the spirit disappeared once more. The third time, though, Samus was ready; as soon as the whistling noise was heard, She dived forward, avoiding the ghost entirely. 

"Ha! Now I know how to avoid you!" She continued down the stairs, passing dull, lifeless doors without power and taking a Missile Tank that was lying in the corner. At the bottom, it seemed like a dead end. "Hmm..." The bounty hunter switched to the X-Ray Visor and smiled at what she saw; two secret passageways, one in the floor, one in the wall. She chose the latter first and crawled through in Morph Ball mode, still avoiding the Koben. It turned out to be a dead-end. She saw another secret passage at the end, but it was blocked by a deactivated worker robot. "Dammit." Returning to the stairwell, Samus went further downward. Now she was at the very bottom of the ship; the walls were coated in green mold, the only thing that could survive in here. Exploration turned up a Map Station, but like the rest of the ship, it was powerless. On the other side of the moldy area, however, was something familiar. A grey, fleshy lump in the wall that opened into a golden eye the size of a door. She Missiled it thrice, and it died, revealing said door. Above it, an ancient sign read "Power Room." 

"The same kind of security Kraid had... Phantoon's gotta be in here." She grimly stepped inside. At first, the power room looked empty and desolate; there didn't seem to be any inhabitants at all. Then, with a hissing noise, floating blue fireballs began to appear, forming a circle in the air. Startled, Samus shot at them, but like with the Koben, her blasts did nothing. And then, with a wavy distortion, an Elocto appeared in the center of the ring. He opened his eye and looked down at Samus. 

"Samus Aran, I presume?" 

"That's me." The bounty hunter nodded. "And you would be Phantoon." 

"My reputation precedes me, it seems." Phantoon smiled. "Your reputation, on the other hand, appears to be entirely deserved. I really must congratulate you on making it past the Koben... you're the only visitor to this ship to survive with the power off." 

"'With the power off?'" Samus repeated. "You mean it's supposed to be on?" 

"Bingo. I've been draining the power from this room for quite some time now. I've stopped, though; bit hard to fight and do that at the same time. The ship should turn back on in abut ten minutes. After I've dealt with you." 

"I think it's more likely that it'll be the other way around, mollusk." Samus threatened. The Elocto shrugged. 

"And I tend to doubt it. It's nothing personal; I actually want to thank you for offing Kraid. I hated him. But business is business, and enemies are enemies. Goodbye, Samus Aran." Phantoon closed his eye, shimmered and disappeared, phasing out into the ethereal plane. This posed quite a problem; not only could Samus not attack him, she couldn't even see him! Unfortunately, the opposite did not seem true, as blue fireballs dropped out of the air and began moving towards the bounty hunter. Samus blasted them while frantically looking around for something, anything that would give her opponent's postion away. Then she had an idea, suddenly remembering how she had dealt with the Chozo Ghosts of Tallon IV. Switching on the X-Ray Visor, Samus grinned; now she could see Phantoon, dancing around and dropping the blue fire. Then he stopped, and as his eye opened, he shimmered slighty. It took Samus a moment to figure out what hapened. Then she realized it. Phantoon had returned to the normal plane. Before he could attack, Samus blasted a Super Missile right into the vulnerable eye. As it hit, two things happened. First, Phantoon took a great deal of very painful damage.Second, all hell broke loose. 

"EEEYARGH!" Phantoon screamed, slamming his eye shut and going ethereal again before flying to the top of the room. "You want to play hardball, bounty hunter?! FINE!" Suppressing involuntary tears, he gestured with his tentacles in sweeping motions, and huge waves of blue flame came roaring down upon Samus. They were undodgable; Samus was bathed in the unnatural fires multiple times, losing an entire Energy Tank. Finally, the Elocto's rage subsided, and he began drifting around again. Before long, he opened his eye and phased in again to take another look. And naturally, Samus Super Missiled him in the eye once more, enraging Phantoon anew. "You just don't get it, do you?!" Now leaking blood along with the water from his eye, he repeated the waves of blistering blue heat, draining another of Samus' Energy Tanks. 

_This is just turning out to be a slugfest,_ Samus thought. _And I've only got one tank of energy, and one Super Missile, left. He looks almost dead himself, though... come on..._ The moment Phantoon's eye opened, Samus' last Super Missile went into it. Now blood was flowing freely from the orb. For a moment, it seemd the fight was over, as Phantoon wavered in the air, seemingly about to fall... and then, in a howl of rage, he created the unavoidable waves of flaming death. Samus felt the last of her Varia Suit's energy being melted away, and she new that she had failed, that she was going to die now. And then, from seemingly nowhere, an Energy Tank was refilled. 

"Huh?!" Samus wondered. Then she decided that she could figure it out later; right now, Phantoon was drifting around once more, and she was out of Super Missiles. 

"What's wrong, Samus? Out of heavy artillery?" Phantoon laughed, opening his eye. Then something hit him. Something smaller, faster, and still painful. Ordinary Missiles. They flew fast and furious, slamming into Phantoon's eye by the dozen, and he screeched in horrible pain, trying to force the optic closed. It was then that the Pirate Lord realized for the first time what he had overlooked before, something that gripped his heart in a cold steel clamp. He could die here, and that realization brought Phantoon's cowardly heart to the surface of his being. "No! NO, I don't want to die! I don't want to DIE!" Finally, he managed to get his eye closed, and he became ethereal once more. He rose, ready to unleash the final, terrible storm of his fear... 

"You do not want to die?" A slow, angry voice spoke. Samus tracked it to see a single Koben ghost... or was it? She looked again with her X-Ray Visor and gasped; there were hundreds, all swarming around Phantoon. "You do not wish to die?! You are alive! You have tricked us! You are not one of us! You shall pay!" The Koben charged forward, their ethereal forms merging with Phantoon's. Wailing like a siren, he stretched, expanded, and wavered. 

"No! I don't want to die, I don't want to die, I don't want to-NOOOO!!!!" With one final wail, Phantoon the Elocto's spirit exploded into nothingness, taking all the Koben with him. His hollow, lifeless body flopped down to the floor of the chamber, smoking from the eye socket. Samus shook her head. 

"He brought that upon himself... playing such a dangerous game can only lead to woe." Suddenly, the room brightened up, and there was a whirring noise as the lights in the came on. She heard mechanical humming spreading to the other rooms. "Well, he spoke the truth there... the power's back on." Exploring the ship, Samus found there was no trace of Koben remaining. She ran a self-diagnostic and discovered that that "Reserve Tank" was empty. 

"So that's what they're for..." She murmured. "They're emergency backup... well, I'm certainly thankful for them." Taking a scan and a picture for the bounty, Samus left the room. The ship was a different place now that the power was back on. Strange lifeforms had been released from storage, somehow surviving this long, and work robots slowly paced around. Her first stop was the Map Station, where she discovered a section up above that she had completely missed. "I've gotta check that out..." Proceeding up, she discovered something sorely needed in a side chamber; a pair of Super Missile Tanks and one Missile Tank. "All RIGHT!" Happily pocketing them, she proceeded further up the ship's length and emerged into a hall. And found herself completely surrounded by the mantislike humanoid insects, these ones with a thicker grey exoskeleton. 

"She's killed Lord Phantoon! Destroy her!" One of them shrieked. Samus just laughed and eradicated them with her Super Missiles. Beyond them was a Chozo Statue with nothing in its hands. She had only seen this once before, on Tallon IV. 

"Let's see if the same thing works..." Leaping into its hands, Samus curled into her Morph Ball mode. With a groan, it came to life and began walking foward, carrying her into a secret passage in the floor. After a time, it stopped and released her, once more returning to its eternal slumber. Samus uncurled and laid a hand on it for a moment, then turned and walked through the door waiting for her. Inside was another statue, this one holding... the Gravity Suit. She silently absorbed it, and smiled as she saw her suit change to a dark purple color, and felt the increased protection. She couldn't feel it, but she knew that another effect was that water would no longer drag her down. 

"This is an excellent bonus indeed. I think now's a good time to go back to Brinstar and Norfair to see what I can nab with all my shiny new things..." Samus smiled even wider. "I'm going on the mother of all scrounging runs. And when I'm done with that... there's just one guy left for me to meet. Hope you're ready for company... Draygon." 


	6. Chapter 5: Waylaid In The Water World

**__**

Chapter 5: Waylaid In The Water World 

"I'm afraid that Zebesians are still the only troops we can use in Norfair, milady. The Varia KiHunters still can't stand the heat, and we haven't found a way to implement G-Level into them yet. And the Evir, of course, are completely out of-" 

"DAMN THAT BOUNTY HUNTER!" Mother Brain suddenly shrieked, bringing a sudden halt to Ridley's report. He blinked, completely nonplussed. 

"What's wrong, milady?" 

"Samus Aran is what's wrong!" She hissed. "Phantoon has fallen as well! She has destroyed him!" Ridley's eyes widened. 

"He has? So Phantoon is dead too..." The corners of his mouth twitched upward momentarily as he walked over to a computer and accessed the security camera footage. "Poor Draygon... they were so close. Old friends... and now they've been seperated at last. He must be tremendously infuriated right about now..." 

"Infuriated doesn't even BEGIN to describe it, Ridley." Draygon hissed as he crawled in. The Evir's eyes were even more bulging and bloodshot than normal. "There IS no word to describe the incredible rage I am feeling at this moment..." 

"You just used words to describe it right there." Ridley pointed out, snickering. Draygon ignored him, too caught up in his fury to respond. 

"That accursed human whelp has gone TOO far this time! When I get my claws into her, she will know agony such as she has never felt! I swear upon the spirit of my lost partner Phantoon that she will DIE by my hand before another two days have passed!" 

"Actually, from what this camera seems to show, it looks like it was his spirit that got hit hardest. Plus, you don't even have anything remotely resembling a hand." Ridley interrupted again. "And another thing..." Mother Brain glared down at the rambling Drakar, eyes beginning to glow red.

"That is ENOUGH. Ridley. Stop. NOW. I do not need to see the two of you arguing; there is too much going on already without it. Both of you, leave me." Ridley nodded and bowed, while Draygon just walked back the way he came, muttering to himself. The Drakar joined him. 

"Hey, don't worry too much, buddy mine." Ridley forced a false smile onto his face as he caught up with the enraged Evir. "Phantoon isn't gone forever, you know. You'll see him again." 

"Huh?" Draygon turned to glare at his rival. "What the hell are you going on about?" Ridley shook his head pityingly. 

"Poor Draygon... this really must be affecting you more than even I know. You've completely forgotten about the revival technology, haven't you? You know, the process created by Kraid? Who Aran killed as well? We can bring the two of them back to life together! Phantoon will be down on his knees thanking Kraid for inventing it... well, he doesn't have knees, but you know what I mean. Point is, he'll be back at your side before you know it." 

"Yes, I suppose I do..." Draygon's mouth curled upward as well in a smile every bit as fake as Ridley's. "That does kind of cheer me up a bit... thanks a lot, my brother Pirate." The two Pirate Lords stood there for several moments with identical fixed grins, neither of them fooled by the other and both knowing the hatred that ran through their minds and was reflected in their eyes. Finally, Draygon looked away, and the smile disappeared. "But I am still going to murder Aran in a VERY painful manner for this... and unlike Phantoon, she won't be coming back." 

"Well, I should certainly HOPE not." Ridley laughed. "We can only use that process to revive ourselves, Draygon. We sure as HELL aren't going to bring back our latest enemy. If mom even SUGGESTED it, I'd immediately come to the conclusion that somebody filled her tank with alcohol. Don't be stupid." 

"Shut up, you bat-winged blowhard." The Evir's false grin vanished. "I don't give a damn about your snide little comments any more. I have more important things to think about now." 

"Such as your great revenge against Samus?" Ridley sneered. "You ignorant lunkhead, do you really think it will be that easy? That bounty hunter may just be the most deadly creature in the galaxy. She's a warrior like none other, Draygon... and you would do wise to be very careful around here. The fact that I'm actually giving YOU helpful advice should tell you how dead serious I am about this." 

"I know how dangerous Aran is, Ridley." Draygon rolled his eyes. "But I'm better. She will not survive our encounter... I am sure of this." The Drakar matched him in optic movement. 

"No, I don't think you know how dangerous, Draygon. Not really. Samus has killed me, Kraid, MOM, and now Phantoon. And doubtless she's going to try her damn hardest to do the same to you. What honestly makes you think you can succeed where all the rest of us have failed?" 

"I have never died before." Draygon pointed out. Ridley sighed. 

"That is because you have never FOUGHT Samus before, you lout! Just a short while ago, poor Phantoon could make the same claim as you, and look where he is now! You get my point, hmmm?" 

"Don't you talk about him..." Draygon's eyes had a strange light in them. Ridley scoffed. 

"Oh, I can't talk about him, can I? He certainly had no problems with talking about Kraid in a bad way after his death. What I'm saying about Phantoon is nothing compared to what that nasty little squid said about Kraid, and you know it. He deserved the beating I gave him... why, I might even go so far as to suggest that he deserved what Aran did to hi-URK!" Screaming with rage, Draygon had launched himself at the Drakar's head and was now pinning it against the ground, digging into it with all his claws. 

"I'LL KILL YOU!" Draygon shrieked, rearing his head back to spit a blast. "I'LL KILL YOU, YOU SONOFA-" Four claws grasped his legs, and he was thrown off bodily. Ezer and Garan stood near their boss, glaring at the Evir as both he and Ridley rose. Neither of them spoke; they simply glared at each other, both breathing heavilly. Finally, Ridley straightened up and regained control of his temper. 

"Well, then. If you're going to be like that, you're on your own. I'll be waiting for my own match against Aran, which I am fairly sure will happen. Come, boys." Ridley and his thugs walked away, leaving Draygon. Once they were out of earshot, Ezer spoke. 

"You handled that surprisingly calmly, boss. He was actually trying to kill you, you know." 

"Oh, I know..." Ridley hissed, dropping his mannerisms. "I know, indeed. I'm more than fairly sure that I'll be getting a rematch with Aran, boys. In fact, I can almost guarantee it." 

"You mean..." Garan left it hanging with a wide grin. Ridley nodded. 

"Yes... it seems that brother Draygon has outlived his tolerance." 

*** 

"YAAAH!" Samus launched herself across the dark hall of blue blocks, jumped over the hidden pitfall she had spotted with her X-Ray Visor, and grabbed her seventh Energy Tank. The downside of this was how her momentum carried her forward past it and into the door with a resounding crash. Prying herself off, she opened it with a Super Missile and grabbed the Tank for the same weaponry inside. Returning back, the bounty hunter crept to the edge of the pitfall and peered down. "Looks pretty safe... no direct life-threatening trap at the bottom, at any rate. Well, nothing ventured..." She jumped off, landed, and looked around, soon spotting a sign above a spike-roofed tunnel. "Hmmmm... 'Prison Hall 2?' This tunnel could be dangerous, but this is definately worth checking out... anybody the Pirates want to keep prisoner would be somebody I'll want to free, most likely." Morph Balling down the tunnel, Samus destroyed a few lurking parasites, then opened the door at the end. It led to a long vertical hall with no means of scaling it; the walls were completely smooth. At first, Samus thought she had found an empty cell... then some motion caught her eye, and three small creatures crawled out hesitantly. They were bipedal, with two arms and two legs, but small; about two feet tall. They were covered in a green-blue fur, and had antennae. Their ears were pointed, and their faces normally curious and playful, although now, they were downcast. 

"Hey, little guys." Samus smiled. "I'm here to bust you out." They stared at her, faces blank and uncomprehending. "Are you okay? Don't worry; I'm a friend." One of them stepped forward. 

"_Fo vydo tiz rvytlob ias ketbp,_ Pirate. _Ti kyzzos fvyz uia bi zi ap, fo pvyjj tiz etpzsarz uia et ias ysz._" Samus groaned. 

"Mydiene? Great. I don't have a verbal translator built into the suit... wait a second. Pirate? You think I'm..." She laughed. "Look, I'm not a pirate, okay? No. No pirate. No pirate." She shook her head to emphasize it. The creature cocked his head. 

"No... Pirate?" The bounty hunter nodded and stepped aside, allowing them to walk by. The apparent leader frowned. 

"_Ep zvep piko netb ig zsern?_" He cautiously walked past, watching for any sign of treachery. Suddenly, Samus spun and fired. Squealing, all three of them ducked and covered their heads... and the Super Missile destroyed the parasite that had been about to latch onto the leader's head. Slowly, he raised it and looked at the remains. "_Uia... wapz pydob ku jego?_" Samus nodded. 

"Yeah. I'm a friend!" 

"Friend..." He repeated. The small lifeform ran back to the other two, and they had a quick, huddled conference. When they turned back to her, they were smiling. Taking a few sticks, they drew symbols on the ground, which Samus' suit translated. 

"Sa, Ji, Ni?" She said. They nodded enthusiastically. "Those must be your names..." She took a scan and discovered that their species were called Etecoons. Then, she took a stick and, with her the aide of her suit's written translator, wrote her own name in their script. 

"Sa...mus?" Sa, the leader, asked. She nodded. "Samus!" The Etecoons looked at each other again, and simultaneously nodded, then lined up. As she watched, Sa leaped forward straight at the wall. As he was about to hit it, though, he pressed one hand and foot against the surface, and pushed himself off and upward. He repeated with his other hand and foot when he hit the opposite wall, and continued upward like this to the top of the cell, where there was a small ledge that he landed on. Ji and Ni followed in the exact same way. Once they were all at the top, the Etecoons dropped back down effortlessly, and motioned towards the wall. Samus blinked. 

"Hold on... you want me to try it?" They nodded. "You're joking, right? I can't do that!" They waited patiently. "Fine, I'll show you." She ran forward and slammed into the wall, then slid down. The Etecoons stared at her for a moment, then started laughing uncontrollably. Once they had recovered, Sa scampered over and showed her the flat of his right hand and foot, then pressed them against the wall and pushed. Samus sighed. "Okay... I'll try again." Jumping again, the bounty hunter tried what Sa had showed her, pressing her palm and foot against the wall, then pushed off. To her surprise, instead of falling down, Samus successfully rebounded upward. Recovering quickly, she repeated the act upon hitting the opposite wall and continued upward, back and forth. At the top of the cell, the bounty hunter found a forgotten Power Bomb Tank. Grabbing it, she dropped back down. The Etecoons were jumping up and down excitedly. 

"_Tif uia ntif zvo porsoz_ Wall Jump _ig zvo_ Etecoons!" Sa told her. Samus smiled. 

"Wall Jump? Well, thanks guys! This'll come in handy. I gotta be going now, and you should probably clear out too." Waving, she exited the cell and returned upward to the main halls of Brinstar. Before long, the bounty hunter returned to a long hall of pink pollen, swarming with enemies. "Hmm... I could just go through and blast them all, or..." Snickering, she backed up a bit, then charged forward, powering up her Speed Booster and smashing through anything in her way. Suddenly, though, Samus felt the floor give way, and she fell down a long pit. About fifteen seconds later, she impacted with the ground. "Ugh..." The bounty hunter muttered, slowly rising. "That was wierd... the floor was sturdy before... huh?" Hearing a noise behind her, Samus turned just in time to be kicked in the face. "OOF!" Her assailant was a tall, ostrich-like bird the same size as her. It had two wings, two legs, and featheres all over its body. The most interesting thing about it was an odd mohawk-like head crest. It glared at her, then suddenly lunged forward with another kick. Samus jumped aside and prepared to fire... when suddenly, Ji and Ni jumped onto her. "Huh?" They pointed to her blaster, then shook their heads. "What? You don't want me to shoot it?" Looking over, she saw Sa talking with the bird in Mydiene. 

"_Pziq! Zvep ep ti_ pirate! _Ez ep y gseotb, riksybo!_" The bird opened its beak. 

"_Ti_ pirate? _E soriltepo uia_ Etecoons _xaz... zvep... y gseotb?_" 

"_Uop! Ez gsoob ap gsik ias ekqsepitkotz!_" Sa nodded emphatically. The bird frowned, then turned to Samus, who scanned it. It was a Dachura, also from the Far Side, as evidenced by its speech. 

"Boy, what is with you guys showing up here?" She muttered. The Dachura scratched its name into the pollen; Falar. 

"_Y gseotb voso, ov..._" It muttered. The Etecoons nodded. "_Fvyz ep uias tyko?_" 

"I'm Samus Aran..." The bounty hunter responded, writing her name in the pollen as well. Falar jumped back. 

"Samus Aran? _Zvo_ Pirate _Nejjos_?" It obviously recognized her name. The Dachura thought for a moment, then seemed to come to a decision with itself. "Samus._ Gijjif ku yrzeitp... bi yp E bi._" It walked to the very back of the long hall, then suddenly dashed forward at amazing speed, blazing past Samus and the Etecoons. Samus stared as Falar reached the same level of prismatic velocity as the top of her Speed Booster's capabilities. At the end of the hall, it suddenly squatted, stopping on a dime, and retaining the energies before blasting straight upwards in an incredible jump. Samus ran over and stared upwards as the Dachura shot up like a rocket, clearing the hole she had fallen in through and landing. Samus could only shake her head in amazement. 

"Wow... can I do that too...? Only one way to find out..." Sa, Ji & Ni moved out of her way as the bounty hunter walked to the back of the room, took a moment to steady herself, then launched across. She felt the shift in perception as her speed reached its max, and moments before smashing into the opposite wall, she crouched and skidded to a halt. Samus felt the pent-up energy still raging in her, begging for release, and with a mighty scream, she imitated Falar and exploded upwards. "YES! I did it! I did-" She smashed into the ceiling with a sickening crunch. The Etecoons and Dachura all visibly winced. Slowly, Samus extricated herself and landed next to Falar. 

"_Toobp y jezzjo fisn..._" The Dachura commented wryly. Samus laughed sheepishly, picking up on the meaning. 

"Aah, I'll get better." She looked at the Etecoons, who were Wall Jumping their way out. "You fellas should stick together... safety in numbers and all that. See if you can hijack a Pirate ship and get offa here." Falar nodded, apparently understanding her even if it didn't speak her language. It dropped back down and came up with a large, orange sphere. The four aliens walked off, the Etecoons waving (Falar would have done so as well, but wings just aren't suited for that). Samus smiled. "Well, it was good to see some friendly faces, but I need to get back to work." Humming, the bounty hunter resumed her journey. 

*** 

"Allright, you drunken bums! Last call!" Horzat yelled across the bar. Grumbling, the various barflies, truckers and petty crooks congregated, each wanting their drinks refilled one more time before they either left or were forcibly ejected. 

"Hey, wait a second... it's only 1!" Gelltor, a small Drakar pickpocket, observed. "You're closing an hour early, Horzat! What's going on?" 

"I got a lot to take care of right now." The Zebesian explained. "It's taking up my time. That's why I'm closing an hour early and opening an hour late for a few days." 

"Well, I wouldn't know about that second part... I'm usually sleeping when you open up." Gelltor admitted. His eyes narrowed. "A lot to deal with... would this have anything to do with a debacle involving miss Samus Aran?" 

"Maybe." Horzat grunted. "Why do you ask?" 

"Why do I ask?" The Drakar asked with a look of injured pride. He turned to the other patrons. "What do you think, guys and gals? Does he really not know, or is he insulting me?" 

"I hope for his sake it's the first." A human male smirked. The entire galaxy knew what the warrior Drakars did to people who insulted them. Of course, Gelltor was hardly an ideal example of his species, but it didn't pay to take risks with them. 

"All right, cut the crap." Horzat barked. "What's the deal?" An Elocto with a large scar across her eye raised a tentacle with scar tissue at the tip. 

"It goes sorta like this, Horzat. Aran's a hero to us types, even moreso than the rest of the galaxy. That's because really, she's one of us at heart. There's three types of people in this galaxy. The honest, lawabiding good people, the true scumbags who would sell their own mother, and the people in between, which is us. And you. And Samus, which is why we all look up to her. She don't claim to be perfect, she ain't no stuck-up Federation goon, but she still sticks it to those Pirates right where it hurts the most. That's the kind of gal our types look up to." 

"Welhaam pretty much summed it up." Gelltor smiled toothily at Horzat. "She's the closest thing we've got to a champion. So if you know anything about the ruckus on Zebes, we'd appreciate hearing it." 

"All right, fine." Horzat growled as he topped off the last mug. "She's taken out Kraid again..." He stopped and waited for the cheering to die down. The former Pirate wasn't the only one on Magani who hated Kraid; the mad scientest's reputation was well-known. "As well as that serial killer, Crocomire. Her next target is Phantoon." 

"Good! I hope she wastes him!" Welhaam clasped her tentacles. "That guy's a disgrace to our species! He gives the rest of us Eloctos a bad name!" Gelltor jumped onto the counter, ignoring Horzat's sputtering curses. 

"I propose we finish off tonight's drinks with a toast! To Samus Aran and the success of her mission!" 

"To Samus Aran!" The patrons raised their mugs. Gelltor nodded solemnly. 

"And may all of Ridley's teeth fall out and be used as nails!" The patrons drank deeply, then began walking towards the door, filing out one by one. 

"Remember, I don't open until 4 tomorrow!" Horzat yelled. Gelltor turned as he was about to leave. 

"Hey, if you talk with her again, tell her she's got our support, willya? That and one hell of a party once she gets back here!" Horzat nodded. 

"I will. Now, off with ye, scoundrel!" 

"Goin' to the business district?" Welhaam asked. The pickpocket nodded. "Mind if I come along? I got nothin' better to do." 

"No problem at all, babe. Let's go." The two left as Horzat began inspecting his bar for patrons who tried to hide and stay in so they could treat themselves to additional drinks once he had gone upstairs. Surprisingly, there were none tonight. 

"Thank gar for small favors..." Horzat muttered, sitting in front of his computer and trying a link to Zebes again. "Hey, Samus! You there?" 

"Samus Aran is not in at this moment." Her ship's computer responded. "Would you like to leave a message?" The bartender sighed. 

"Naah... I'll wait an hour." Humming an old ditty, he started up a computer game. Fifty-nine minutes later, he had exhausted the possibilities of Solitaire and was about ready to give up when he heard a familiar voice from his speakers. 

"Hey, crab, you still there?" Samus popped onto his screen, and the old ex-pirate smiled for a moment before covering it with a cranky frown. 

"I think the more important question would be if YOU were still around. I'm surprised you haven't gotten yourself demolecularized." Samus laughed. 

"Me? Naah! If I did, who would you have to grouch at? Your beer bottles and mugs?" 

"The other patrons here." Horzat retorted. "This ain't your personal bar. By the way, they asked me to pass on their support, and the promise of a giant blowout once you finally get back here." 

"Now that's something I can look forward to." The bounty hunter grinned. "Too bad Matrix won't be able to attend; he's underage." Horzat waved his claw dismissively. 

"Bah! They're never too young to get started!" 

"I'd prefer to have him wait until he loses his baby fangs before he starts drinking alcohol." Samus said dryly. "At any rate, tell those guys thanks, and that they can add Phantoon to my 'fragged' list." 

"So you finally squished that squid, eh?" The bartender observed. "Welhaam'll be happy... she says the guy's a disgrace, and I can't blame her. That just leaves Draygon as the only one you haven't met, hm?" She nodded. 

"You got it. I figure I'll go rectify that, then track Ridley down. That Drakar and I have a lot of things to discuss..." She made a fist. Horzat laughed. 

"Yeah, I'll bet you do. I see you got your Gravity Suit back. Looks good. Let's hope you can hold on to it this time, hm?" 

"As long as I stay clear of bureaucrats, I should be able to." Samus smirked. "I doubt I'll be able to get another Phazon Suit... shame. Ah well. Oh, there was something I wanted to ask you... what species do the Pirates have in great numbers?" Horzat frowned, thinking. 

"Just us Zebesians and Draygon's Evir... although that was just when I left. I believe old Ma Cranium was trying to convince several other species to join up. Did you run across one of them?" 

"I think so... they were sentient, and they talked." Samus recollected. "They're bugs... standard size. Two arms, two legs, and wings." Horzat frowned as well. 

"That sounds familiar. Do they spit acid?" 

"Yup." 

"That's them all right. Sounds like the Pirates have hired the KiHunters. You know the Yakuza, right?" 

"The arachnoids?" Samus guessed The bartender nodded. 

"Yeah. There's another sentient species on their planet called KiHunters, and they're the main diet of the Yakuza. One of the reasons we're on shaky footing with the Yakuza is the Federation doesn't like them munching the guys, but the Yakuza don't wanna stop. Brain was looking into picking up the KiHunters. Looks like the negotiations were successful." 

"Seems that way." Samus sighed. "Anything else you can tell me about them?" Horzat thought for a moment. 

"They hate heat, and they won't use their acid unless they're grounded. As long as they can fly, they'll stick with their claws." The bounty hunter nodded. 

"Thanks. I'll keep that in mind. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to catch a nap, then head off to Maridia." 

"Maridia, huh... so they've taken that ocean too. Figures Draygon'd be in there. I'll see you around, hopefully." Horzat shut the computer off, then got up, groaning. "I'm gettin' old... better go get my exoskeleton checked, I suppose. I'll do that after this is all over... I got enough to worry about now as it is." Turning out the lights, the old Zebesian locked up, then hobbled upstairs. 

*** 

"160 Missiles, 30 Supers, 35 Power Bombs, 10 Energy Tanks and 3 Reserve Tanks." Samus smiled. "Yeah, this is definately my kind of an artillery supply. Thank you, Kraid and Phantoon, for filling your lands with stufff for me to loot and use to take down your buddies." She looked over towards the Wrecked Ship. "Now, for Maridia. The main entrance is through there... but if I go that way, they'll be all over me. There's gotta be a back way in... I know I've seen one..." The bounty hunter thought for a moment before her eyes lit up. "Now I remember... yes. OH, yes. They won't know what hit them!" Laughing, she set off... not towards the Wrecked Ship, but in the other direction, towards Brinstar. It took her only an hour to cover the ground to the entrance of Kraid's Lair. Samus emerged into the Galdezium tube that connected it to the rest of Brinstar. She looked outside at the water surrounding the tube and nodded. "If this isn't Maridia, I don't know what is. And since this tube's Galdezium... " She set a Power Bomb, and watched as the explosion shattered it. Water rushed in, and she landed on the coral-encrusted ground below. "I'm in... now to find Draygon." Climbing up small coral platforms, she soon emerged into a wide space filled with wildlife, from the crablike Scisors to the Skultera fish. Destroying any that bothered her, Samus made her way up higher, grabbing another Missile Tank as she went. Moving east, Samus suddenly slid down a slope of smooth, slippery rock and down a pit. The good news was she saw a Super Missile Tank embedded in the wall on the way down and grabbed it. The bad news was she landed in a cluster of red-armored Zebesians. 

"Samus Aran?! How-?!" One of them choked. Samus didn't bother responding; she simply fired a Super Missile, knowing it was the only thing that could pierce this level of armor. Unfortunately, the water slowed the projectile considerably, and the Pirate easily knocked it aside. With a mild oath, Samus tried her beam. It didn't faze them a bit. 

"Come on, guys, she can't even scratch us! Let's get her!" One of them cackled. Samus cursed again. 

"Dammit! Looks like I'll have to run for it!" Spotting the nearest door, the bounty hunter blazed through it, noticing the "WARNING! Do not enter!" sign in passing. None of the Pirates followed. "Huh... wonder what's in here that's so dangerous..." The only thing in here were several small, baby turtle-like creatures about the size of her head. They were cute. Then, with an angry roar, what she had taken to be a boulder extended craggy legs and a head, revealing itself as the parent of the babies. And it did not look like a happy tortoise. "Oh... that's why." She recognized it now; it was a Tatori, a giant turtle-beast that was, unfortunately, incredibly territorial. Worse, its armor was nearly impenetrable, even with modern weaponry. With a scream of anger, the adult Tatori pulled itself back into its shell and launched at Samus with surprising speed, plowing over her like a professional linebacker. 

"OOF!" Samus winced as she hit the dirt. When she opened her eyes, she was looking up... and at the very top of the tall room she was in, she saw something glinting. The Tatori came at her again, but this time she was ready, and she jumped on TOP of the shell. Enraged, the beast launched itself in the direction of its enemy. Up. Samus held on to the crags on its shell until they reached the top, where she grabbed the Energy Tank and Missile Tank she had seen before they fell back down with a colossal THUMP that didn't even stun the Tatori. Samus frowned. "I need to get out of here before this thing kills me... but those Pirates are gonna be waiting on the other side of the door..." An idea came to her. Snickering, the bounty hunter jumped off the Tatori and stood in front of the door. Predictably, it charged. At the last second, Samus stepped aside and opened the door, and the mad mother bowled over the shocked Zebesians like bowling pins. THEN it hurt them. Ignoring the screams, Samus crept by, unnoticed by any of her enemies.   
"I hate to say it, but... it's actually pretty nice down here." Samus observed some time later. Maridia was a dark, gloomy series of watery caverns, yes. But it was also a calm, peaceful underwater environment with colorful plant life and animals that would be an oceanologist's dream, even if they were trying to kill her. The bounty hunter actually groaned with regret when she emerged into a network of purple pipes. "Blast it... and here I had hoped that maybe for once the Pirates could leave something as it is. Foolish of me, I suppose." Climbing up them like a jungle gym, she leaped out of the top into a sandy cavern with seaweed and shellfish. "Much better." She looked around for several moments, enjoying the scenery, before she was brought back to reality by a sharp pain in her foot. Looking down, she saw the spiny-shelled invertebrate responsible tunnel back into the sand. On the plus side, it did unearth a Missile Tank. Samus looked up and realized that the water ended above her! Jumping up, she landed on the shore and killed a Chute Leech before it swooped down on her. Two more Tanks, one for normal Missiles and one for Supers, awaited her. Unfortunately, there didn't seem to be anything else here, so with reluctance, Samus returned to the purple pipes and crawled deeper in. Before long, she emerged into a much different Maridia; a slimy, moldy place with the stone walls carved instead of just being left naturally. The atmosphere was like a medieval dungeon. 

"Now all we need is an iron maiden and a few guillotines." She muttered as she kicked aside a large snail. It looked as if the only way onward was up; fortunately, the channerls were straight and there was a lot of room to run. Using the skills the Dachura had taught her, Samus snagged another Tank each of regular and Super Missiles, then went through a door in the ceiling... and emerged into a nightmare. At first glance, there was nothing to distinguish this room from any other... until she saw the inhabitants. Floating, gelatinous blobs, they looked like horrible alien jellyfish. Instead of tentacles, they had fangs, which could be used to suck the life force out of any living thing. And in the main body... a single red nucleus. 

"No..." Samus whispered in horror. "No... this isn't possible... Matrix was the last one... this can't BE..." But it was. The Metroids... had returned. Then, Samus noticed something. Before, all other Metroids moved with an evil, predatory speed and agility. But these ones were clumsy, crashing into walls and each other as they sluggishly swam around. Then she realized; there was only ONE nucleus in them. Metroids had three or four. Whatever these things were... they weren't Metroids. "But then... what are they?" She wondered. Like Metroids... but inferior, stupid, probably weaker... then she remembered Kraid. "Clones! They're clones, like Kraid's! Ridley and Draygon... they must have tried to clone Matrix, and these were the result! But do they have... Matrix's memories?" One of them suddenly spotted her, and with a screech, dived at her, hungry for energy. She blew it away with two beam shots. One to freeze it, and one to finish it off. "Guess not... looks like they ARE weaker, too. This is nothing to be concerned about." Samus methodically destroyed all the clones. 

"It appears that the Motchroids were even more than a failure than I thought..." A voice suddenly rang through the chamber. Samus looked around frantically before pinpointing its source; a speaker in one corner of the room. 

"So that's what those dumb clones are called. Motchroids." 

"You've done your homework." The voice admitted grudgingly. "Yes, they were clones, made by the technology of the late Kraid. I'm sure you remember him." 

"Of course." She said calmly. "And you would be Draygon, I believe. Why don't you come out here so we can get this over with right now, hmm?" 

"You have no idea how much I want to." Draygon agreed. "But you must prove yourself first. Come to me, my little hunter, and prepare to die... slowly and with excruciating pain." Samus raised an eyebrow. 

"Did I do something to offend you? Or are you just a sicko like I've heard?" A moment of silence... then laughter. 

"Both, human. But more the former. You killed Phantoon, and for that, I'm going to enjoy ripping you apart. First things first, though... if you want to see me, you're going to have to do me a little favor first and exterminate the Botwoon in the next room. I'll see you soon..." The speaker shut off. Samus blinked. 

"What's a Botwoon?" Shrugging, she entered the door in front of her... then frowned. The dead-end room had many large holes in the walls, as if some gigantic rat had made them. Shrugging again, she turned to go, but was hit from behind. Whipping around, the bounty hunter discovered the source of the holes; a huge, brown eel. "So THIS is a Botwoon." Hissing, it disappeared into a hole, then poked its head out another and spat acid at her. "Oh, that's IT." Samus growled. "You are SO dead." She waited for the Botwoon to stick its head out again, then immediately launched a Super Missile into its mug. Screaming, it disappeared, then reappeared again and got the same treatment. Furious, it abandoned the acid-spitting tactic and simply blasted around the room in chaotic patterns at an incredible speed. Too fast for Samus to peg with a Super Missile. Then, the solution came to her; regular Missiles weren't as powerful, but they were faster, and she had a lot of them. With an evil laugh, Samus filled the room with a storm of Missiles, and the Botwoon wasn't able to dodge them all. Finally, with one last pathetic hiss, it slid apart into seperate segments, and the back wall of the room exploded as hidden charges detonated. She had passed Draygon's "test." 

"He's trying to play games with me..." Samus muttered. "First the Motchroids, now this. Well, we'll see who's having fun when I catch up to that stinking crustacean." 

*** 

"_Well, we'll see who's having fun when I catch up to that stinking crustacean._" Samus muttered on the computer monitor, recorded by the hidden camera in the room. Draygon snickered. He had killed two birds with one stone there; that last Botwoon had been a pest for weeks now. Now it was gone... and soon, Samus Aran would be as well. Draygon swam over to his torture area and examined the restraints on the rack once more to make sure they were in perfect condition, then glanced over at his instruments with a vile laugh. Various devices mainly consisting of hooks, sawblades, and sharp points were hung, all crusty with blood and various other substances best left unidentified. The sadistic Evir tested the blade on one particularly nasty tool he called "the filleter" and smiled as he saw it draw a single drop of blood from his claw. Putting it back, he swam away and checked the monitor again to make sure she was still on the right course. She was. 

"You surprised me at the start, coming in through Brinstar, miss Aran." Draygon admitted, still watching her without blinking. "I never expected you to do that. Had you come from Crateria, of course, you would have met a complement of my clan that would have escorted you here already, and you'd be on my torture rack by now, screaming for mercy." He chuckled darkly. "This way is more fun, anyways... mental torture first, then physical torture. I'm glad now that Mom shipped those failed Motchroids here. The look on your face when you saw them... you thought they were the real deal! Classic. And the more strain you're under, the easier it will be to break you." He was jolted out of his reverie as he heard the door overhead open. "What? Who dares-?" Swimming up, he saw a pair of red Zebesians, carrying a crate each. "I have given orders not to be disturbed. Tell me why you saw fit to violate those orders in twenty words or less, and maybe I won't use you as a warmup for Aran." 

"Mother Brain's orders." The first said laconically. "She's worried about the loss of two Pirate Lords, so we're installing some help for you." 

"Help?!" Draygon hissed, outraged. "I need no help!" The other shrugged. 

"Sire, we know that, and you know that, but the boss lady doesn't know that. She tells us to put these in, we have to do it. Sorry to disturb you, but..." He lifted his claws helplessly. Draygon growled. 

"Has she no confidence in me at all? Argh... fine, then. You get to leave her unscathed, but ONLY if you're gone before Aran gets here! And I'd advise that you hurry; she'll be here soon. No matter what, I will be the only living creature in here when she enters. Clear?" He glared at them, and they both nodded. 

"Crystal, sire. We'll get right to work, then." They jumped down and unfolded some ladders from the crates. Draygon irritably swam over and poked one of the boxes with his tail. 

"What's in these, anyways? What exactly are you installing?" 

"High-power plasma wall cannons." The first Zebesian answered as he removed a screwdriver and began taking out a wall plate. "They're electricity-based; they'll hook right up to the electrical system here with no danger of electrocution, and they fit right into the shape of these standard wall plates. They're very efficient, sire." Draygon rolled his eyes, obviously not caring. 

"Whatever. Just get them in and get out." The Zebesians nodded, and the second passed a bulb with wires on the back up to the first, who tossed down the discarded wall plate. Draygon gnawed on a claw, slightly worried. "Are you absolutely sure there's no way this could put out electricity? We ARE under water, after all. If there's something you're not telling me..." 

"It's completely safe, sire." The second assured him. "Even if the cannons are blown out, the workings are specially insulated so they can't leak electricity. The only way this could possibly zap us is if there was a direct channel of energy connecting us to a broken cannon." He extended the ladder so that the first went up higher in order to start on the second cannon. Draygon nodded, resigned. 

"Very well. I suppose there's no avoiding it. Keep working." Turning away from them, he swam over to a tightly locked cabinet. "I need some of this..." Opening it, the Evir removed a single bright green syringe labeled "Sys-Gro." Locating the place where he had hurt himself earlier on the torture device, Draygon injected himself with the syringe, releasing a deep sigh. At first, nothing happened... and then, with a bulging here and a swelling there, he expanded to five times his normal size! The Zebesians, however, didn't bat an eye as they finished putting in the last cannon. 

"We're done now, sire. We'll be leaving." They extended the ladder up to the top of the chamber and climbed out. Draygon nodded perfunctorily and turned back to his screens, groaning as Samus took a wrong turn. 

"Come on... hurry up, already!" The Zebesians pulled the ladder up after them and left. They made their way out of Maridia through the front entrance, nodding respectfully to any Evirs they passed; they knew how custom-oriented most of the Evir were. Taking the elevator up to Crateria, they walked through the now-lit up Wrecked Ship, bypassing the work robots. As they exited, a voice called to them from above. 

"Well, boys, did it go successfully?" The two Zebesians turned to see Ridley perched above the entrance to the ship. They nodded, smiling. 

"Perfectly, boss. He never suspected a thing." Ridley laughed, jumping off and flying around in a circle. 

"Excellent! That idiotic Evir has the brains of a rock, you know? He never even bothered checking in with Mom to make sure you were authentic?" 

"Never crossed his mind, boss!" Ezer told him. Garan grinned. 

"That idiot was too busy watching for Samus, sharpening his torture tools and pumping himself full of steroids to really think about what you were doing, just as you said he would." 

"Draygon's pathetically simplistic, boys." Ridley landed in front of them. "With Phantoon dead, he's even more of a mess than normal. Pulling something past him is just too easy." He cocked an eyebrow at them. "You're lucky his eyesight isn't good, though; that body paint's the wrong shade of red. At least it was waterproof; otherwise, this could have been a disaster. You two should get it off soon anyways, though; you just don't look right, you know?" 

"Yeah, we will." Ezer agreed. "We want to look our best for when Aran comes back to Norfair after bumping Draygon off." 

"And with our little helping hands, there's no way she can lose!" Garan cackled. Ridley nodded. 

"That was the general idea, boys. Draygon's dead. Now, let's get back down to Norfair; I need to make sure the surveillance cameras are working right, you guys need to get that stupid paint off, and we're all going to catch pneumonia if we stay out here too much longer. It's ALWAYS raining in Crateria, damn it all. Have I ever mentioned that I hate this place?" 

*** 

"What the hell?" Samus yelled. One moment she had gotten stuck in a quicksand pit, and was fighting her way out of it, the next she had fallen through the ceiling of a different room! Looking up, Samus saw the sand falling down in a continuous stream. "Great... no telling where I am now." A Missile Tank hit her on the head. "OW! Well, that's something, at least." Something else hit her on the head, this time a lot more painfully. It was a spiked ball. "YEOWCH!" Looking around, the bounty hunter saw a pair of Evirs glaring at her. "AHA! Draygon! No, wait..." Neither of them had had the domes on their heads carved into a shape like human skulls. They weren't Draygon; just members of his clan. "All right, you two. Start talking. Where's your chief?" 

"We will tell you nothing." One of them sneered. "We are Evir, and we do not forsake our chieftain, even if it means our death." 

"Wait, Torn." The other told him. "This is Samus Aran. The Draygon wishes her to come to him so that he may personally avenge the death of his kin-friend, Phantoon." Samus blinked. 

"Kin-friend?" The second Evir turned to her. 

"It means a friend whom you are so close to that they may as well by kin, a part of your clan." He explained. "But anyways... you have lost your way, bounty hunter. The sand pits can only be used to travel down. It will be troublesome for you to make your way back up. If you do, beware of the Botwoon, a fearsome beast. It is nesting near the Draygon's chambers." Samus shook her head. 

"I already killed that thing. Right before I fell down here." The first one actually smiled. 

"You did? Most excellent! You are truly a great warrior; the creature had slain several of us. I would extend you the gratitude of our clan, but it is not mine to give, and I do not think the Draygon would approve. However, we shall not attack you any more if you leave now. Our laws permit that much." 

"I will, thank you." Samus nodded, then left through a door to her right. The Evirs yelled, but she was already gone. Inside was another Evir, this one very aged. He turned, startled, and grimly readied his spiked ball-and-chain tail. Samus sighed. "Don't. Look, buddy, you're old. I can kill you before you touch me. Your laws have got to have something exempting the elderly." The Evir looked at her, then sighed as well and lowered his tail. 

"Actually, we must fight as much as any Evir... but only when our actions will accomplish anything. Quite obviously, my attacking you would not. Greetings to you, Hunter Aran. I am Firk, keeper of the Shaktool and uncle of the Draygon." 

"You're Draygon's uncle?" Samus asked, shocked. Firk nodded. 

"Yes... and do not think of keeping me as a prisoner. Draygon cares nothing for me, as is shown by how he leaves me alone to this lonely post." 

"Prisoner? As in hostage?" Samus growled angrily. "I don't use dirty tricks like that!" The Evir nodded. 

"I see... and apologize. The time spent among the Pirates has made me... edgy." He confessed. 

"What, you don't like it here?" Samus asked. 

"No... I am no Pirate, and neither are many of our clan." Firk looked angry. "Unfortunately, by Evir clan law, the entire clan must hold the same profession as their chief. Under the Barlgon, my brother, we were happy as lawyers... but when my younger nephew became clan-chief..." He fell quiet for a moment. "Now, the youth of our clan are bandits, against their hearts. And I stay here and run the Shaktool." 

"What's a Shaktool?" Samus asked. The Evir pointed at a huge robot in the back of the room that looked like a metal spider. 

"That. It is a digging device... the Draygon has me use it to search for treasure, such as that." He pointed at a large, round jewel on a shelf. Samus instantly recognized it. It was a Spring Ball, which would let her jump while in Morph Ball mode. 

"Firk... that is a Chozo artifact. I hate to ask, but... may I have it?" Firk lowered his eyes. 

"I am sorry, Hunter Aran... but no. By our law, you are still an enemy... if you take it, I will have to try to stop you, even if it means my death." Samus shook her head regretfully. 

"No... it's okay. You're a good guy, Firk... I don't want the Spring Ball if it means I have to kill you." She turned towards the exit. "I need to be going... but it was nice meeting you." The Evir nodded. 

"May we meet again under more pleasant circumstances." Samus emerged back into the room with the first two Evirs. 

"Lemme guess. Wrong way." She said sheepishly. They nodded. 

"That way." One of them pointed at a door at the other end of the room. "There are more of us there, though... they'll try to stop you." He paused. "Is Firk..." 

"He's fine." Samus assured him. "I didn't touch him." They smiled gratefully. 

"Once again, we can allow you to go unharmed. I only wish we could offer our thanks." 

"It's okay. I understand." She walked past. 

"Oh... hold on." One of them chimed up. "In the next room, use a Power Bomb to open the passage back to the Draygon... the normal way isn't it." She waved a hand over her shoulder in acknowledgement, then did as they told her, and went through the door in the ceiling revealed by the explosion. The room she came out in had several doors. The one that caught her attention most, though, was labeled "Plasma Beam Storage." Unfortunately, it was locked. "Dammit!" 

"Getting a little overeager, are we?" A speaker crackled. "Just where were you going, little miss Aran? Did you forget about our fight?" 

"Hardly." Samus snarled. "I fell in one of YOUR sandtraps. Now, do you mind unlocking this door?" 

"Actually, I do." Draygon laughed. "I'm not THAT stupid. However, I'll give you this. The moment you enter my chamber and the door closes behind you, I shall unlock that door. If you win, you get that Plasma Beam, plus another Chozo artifact that I've got here with me. You've never seen anything like it... but I'm sure you'll like it. If you win, that is, which you won't, but hey, gotta keep up appearances, huh? Come on, already!" 

"Sold." Samus quipped. "You should have been a used car salesman." 

"Shut up." Draygon growled. "Lower door will lead you back here. And hurry up!" Ignoring that last part, Samus walked through the correct door. Before long, she was back in Motchroid territory; fortunately, they were still pathetically weak against her Ice Beam. She cleared them all out fairly quickly. 

"Stupid clones..." The bounty hunter muttered. She filled up at a nearby Energy Station, then entered the next room to be confronted by a bed of spikes, nothing more. She frowned, and used her X-Ray visor. Sure enough, the spikes were fake. Holographic. And below them, with a Missile Tank in front of it, was a now-familiar giant eye the size of a door. Samus dropped down, grabbed the Tank and killed the eye, then went in the door that appeared... onto nothing. There was no floor on the other side of the door; at least not at first. She found the floor about twenty feet below. Growling, the bounty hunter got back up and looked around. 

"All right, Draygon... where are you?" She was promptly hit by a painful blast. Turning, she saw the source; a plasma cannon built into the wall. There were four of them, and she discovered they were immune to her Beams. Samus was about to try Missiles when movement caught her eye, and she spun at four Evir. "Which one of you's-oh." None of them had skulls on their headcrests. They looked like servants, and swam towards the exit. Samus frowned. "But where is he, then?" 

"RIGHT HERE!" Suddenly, she was hit by a force equivalent to that of a speeding Mack truck. Groaning, the bounty hunter got back up and turned to see a HUGE Evir! "Time to die, Samus Aran!" Draygon shrieked, diving towards her again with astonishing speed. Samus was barely able to jump aside and fire a Super Missile... which exploded harmlessly against his armored exoskeletal back. 

"Damn Kraid for inventing Sys-Gro anyways!" She yelled, dodging the plasma cannons. Draygon snickered and turned towards her again. With a shudder, Samus realized that his eyes were completely mad. 

"Are you... scared, Samus Aran?!" Laughing insanely, he dove at her once more. Samus stood her ground and tried a different target with her Super; his soft underbelly. This time, it hurt him. Screeching, he mowed her down again. The bounty hunter jumped to her feet and winced as another plasma shot found her. Draygon turned around and got another Super to the gut immediately. 

"ARGH! Fine, then! Playtime is over!" Hacking, the giant Evir spat a wad of white goo at her. Unprepared, Samus was hit, and discovered to her horror that it was webbing. Grinning, Draygon swooped down and easily picked her up. "Are you having fun now, Samus Aran?" Suddenly, his face changed to a hideous scowl, and he began stabbing her with his spearlike tail. "WELL?! ARE YOU?! ANSWER ME!" 

"..." Samus gritted her teeth, forcing herself not to give the bastard the satisfaction of hearing her scream as she worked to get free of the webbing. Finally, it dissolved, and she pumped Supers into the sadistic Evir point blank. Screaming, he dropped her, and the last Super missed, smashing one of the wall plasma cannons instead. It shattered, revealing a sparking mess of wiring. Samus blinked, confused. 

"Hold on there... that's electrical! Why aren't we frying?" 

"Stupid bounty hunter!" Draygon giggled, slamming her against the wall. "The workings are specially insulated so they can't leak electricity. The only way this could possibly zap us is if there was a direct channel of energy connecting you to a broken cannon!" 

"Oh, really?" Samus murmured, suddenly getting an idea. Part of her said it was suicidal... but the other part knew Draygon was weak to electricity. Summoning up all her courage, Samus intentionally let herself get hit by one of the webbing shots. Draygon cackled and grabbed her again. 

"You're not getting away this time! You will die, slowly, oh so slowly!" He started to slowly crush her while attacking with his tail again, and Samus knew she had to act now. 

"Hey, Draygon... just in case what I'm about to do kills the both of us, here are my last words..." The Evir blinked. 

"Last words? Hardly! You'll be saying a lot more before long, little... wait. What did you mean, bot-" 

"THIS IS REALLY STUPID!" Screaming, Samus extended her Grappling Beam and plugged it into the destroyed plasma wall cannon. Instantly, millions of volts of electricity blasted down the line, through Samus, and into the stunned Draygon. The pain was excruciating, but Samus held on, keeping the connection even as her Energy Tanks were drained one by one within seconds. As agonizing as the electricity was to Samus, it was a thousand times worse for Draygon. The Evir screamed and writhed, smoke coming from his shell. 

"NO! I WILL NOT LET YOU GO!" Insane beyond even survival instincts now, he continued to cling to Samus, trying one last time to kill her. "DIE, SAMUS ARAN!" Samus stiffened as she felt the claws slowly, inexorably close around her... and then, with a sound like a popcorn kernel erupting, she was suddenly freed from Draygon's killer embrace. Finally shutting off the Grapple Beam, Samus slid to the ground. Draygon's corpse lay next to her, completely fried, forever locked in that same stiff pose. The last move he ever made was to close his eyes. Samus shook herself to clear her head, then took a scan and a picture for the bounty. A moment later, the door above her opened. 

"Huh?" Looking up, Samus saw the two Evir she had first met, along with the four servants she had found in here. Also accompanying them... was Firk. "Huh? How'd you get down here so fast?" 

"..." Firk swam down towards his nephew, followed by the other six Evir in two rows. "After I met you... somehow I knew that the position of Clan-Chief would be passed on this day. I knew that Dray would die." 

"Dray?" Samus frowned. Firk nodded. 

"It is his true name... with his death, he is no longer Clan-Chief. I lead our clan... I am the Firkgon now. We will wait until the coast is clear, then leave here, and be Pirates no longer." Samus nodded in approval, then looked at Dray, who the other Evirs had lifted onto their shoulders. 

"And him?" 

"We shall give him a proper burial... even if he was twisted and evil, he was still our Chief." Firk sighed. "That is the way of us Evir. Before we leave... I would like to have you as a friend, Samus Aran." Samus grinned. 

"You've already got it." 

"Thank you." He smiled back and deposited something in her hand. It was the Spring Ball. "Since we are no longer enemies... please, take this. Also, recently I delivered something else like this to Dray. It should still be here." Samus nodded and began searching. Before long, she found it; a spherical orange jewel with two large points rising from its top like horns. Taking it, she discovered it was called the Space Jump. Wide-eyed, the bounty hunter continued to discover that it would allow her to generate force equivalent to pushing off the ground at the height of a jump. In other words... she could stay in the air indefinately. A huge, happy grin came to her face. 

"Draygon spoke the truth about one thing... he was right when he said I'd be interested in this. Watch out, Ridley... you're not the only one who can fly anymore." 


	7. Chapter 6: Red Hot Ridley Hunt

**__**

Chapter 6: Red-Hot Ridley Hunt 

"You know something, boys?" Ridley asked Ezer and Garan. The brothers thought for a moment. 

"What, boss?" 

"I could kiss her for this if she wouldn't fire a Super Missile into my teeth." Ridley released an evil cackle as he watched his computer screen, which was showing security camera footage of Samus' fight with Draygon. Onscreen, the bounty hunter hooked herself; and by extension, Draygon-up to the electrical current, and the Evir was fried. All three of the Pirates watched it without blinking once. 

"I think the best part is those spasming motions his claws are making." Ezer remarked to his brother in a conversational tone. Garan shook his head. 

"No, no. The best is his eyes. Look how they're jumping around!" 

"You're both wrong." Ridley said without taking his eyes off the screen for a second. "Here comes the best part... quiet, both of you..." There was a noise like a massive kernel of popcorn erupting, and Draygon fell back, crispy-fried. Ridley also fell back, but his cause was laughter. 

"HA HA HA HA HA! Didja hear that, boys?! BAM! Brain popped, just like that!" He snapped his claws, still laughing insanely as he rolled around on the floor. "This is the best movie I've ever seen! It should win a Space Academy Award! You guys DID remember to make five seperate copies, right?" 

"Ten, boss!" Garan grinned, attempting a thumbs-up. He failed miserably, of course, not having anything remotely resembling thumbs, but Ridley was too happy to notice. 

"Good, good! I don't want some accident erasing this. Hell, I might even give a copy to Samus, so she can spread this all over the galaxy if she ends up winning the thing."   
"You think she might?" Ezer blinked. The Drakar yawned and stretched. 

"Ezer, please. I'm not like Draygon. There is no rationally denying that Samus Aran is very good; I was only whupping her on Ceres because her Power Suit was at the absolute minimum, and she's pretty close to maxing it out now. No doubt she'll be even closer by the time she gets here." 

"And you're not worried?" Garan inquired. Ridley shook his head. 

"Not in the least, Garan. You forget; I may be one of the most wanted criminals in the galaxy, but I'm still a Drakar, and there's nothing we love more than a good fight. Samus Aran is the only one who's been able to beat me in decades. Me, worry? On the contrary, I look forward to this upcoming fight with a great deal of enthusiasm. No matter who wins and who loses, I will enjoy this immensely. Not as much as seeing Draygon become the extra-crispy catch of the day, but still." He smiled. "I've got to remember to tell her we were behind that before the fight, though. If for no other reason than to see her reaction when she finds out that I was actually HELPING her there." 

"It was a perfect plan, boss." Ezer complimented him. Ridley nodded. 

"Yup. I knew Samus would see the potential of those cannons, and act on it. She could have taken Draygon without them, of course. I know she could have. But who am I to pass up a perfect opportunity to help out an old rival, eh? Reduces the possibility of blind chance screwing us over. Nobody's ever gonna be able to kill Samus except me, boys. I know that now. Kraid tried; bless him, he tried. But Phantoon was kinda right on that score... he really belongs in a lab, cooking up new inventions. Duels with Samus are my job... always will be." The two thugs looked at each other, then shrugged. 

"Well, you're the boss, boss." 

"Damn right I'm the boss." Ridley agreed pleasantly. "I'm glad to see you guys know that. I say jump, you jump. I say kill, you kill. And if I say fight Samus, you fight Samus." 

"Exactly!" Ezer and Garan nodded, then did a doubletake and looked at each other in horror. "Wait a second... did you just say... you want us to..." They turned pale. "...Fight Aran?" 

"That's exactly what I said, boys!" Ridley grinned toothily. "You two are gonna be the last line of defense keeping her away from me! Now, don't worry... I'm sure that you'll do just fine!" 

"Boss... you're joking, right?" Ezer was trembling violently. "Look, we're flattered you have such confidence in us and all that... but, well..." 

"We've basically got no chance." Garan confessed. "She's beaten all four of the Pirate Lords now, and even killed Mom! We're just not on the same level as Aran... and you." 

"Stop whining." Ridley snapped. "You two could take Phantoon, I'll bet... or Draygon. You'll fight her, and that's that. Remember, I'm the boss..." 

"_Oh, is that so?_" A new voice suddenly filled the heads of all three Pirates. An angry voice. A female voice. Mother Brain's voice. "_I was unaware of your promotion, Ridley. The last time I heard, you were still subservient to me._" Ridley gulped. 

"I apologize profusely, Milady... I was only making a point to Ezer and Garan... of course, I remain your most faithful servant..." 

"_Well, that's good to know._" All three winced; they could FEEL the sarcasm. They were in for it this time. "_And yet, that loyalty did not stop you from setting up Draygon to be killed by Aran, did it?_" 

"Milady, I..." Ridley stammered. "I was merely trying to... to aid Draygon with those cannons... I had no idea that Samus would-" 

"_SILENCE!_" Mother Brain yelled. "_Fool, I see your thoughts! Your lies have no effect upon me! You thought your petty fighting a sufficient reason to betray Draygon to Aran! And you two helped him, knowing full well what you were doing!_" Ezer and Garan were holding each other, speechless. Ridley tried to talk again. 

"Milady... Draygon tried to kill me first... he had gone insane, he was a threat to all of..." 

"_None of that matters, you idiot!_" The Pirate Queen hissed. "_Our greatest enemy is Aran, not each other! Were you anybody other than my greatest Pirate Lord, you would be dead already for this idiocy, your brain exploded. As for you two... I allow you to live purely out of regard for your father. You will, however, do what Ridley had planned, and face Aran before him._" Ezer & Garan nodded frantically. Ridley did as well... then stopped as the mental voice flared up again. "_But before any of you do that, I must make sure you do not do this again. I will teach you a lesson, in the best way I know... a lesson in pain!_" There was another flare of energy, and all three Pirates screamed in agony as their heads were filled with unimaginable pain. Clutching their skulls, Ridley, Ezer and Garan fell to the floor and rolled around, shrieking at the top of their lungs for an end to the torture, for mercy and forgiveness. 

Unfortunately for them, Mother Brain was not noted for her merciful or forgiving nature. 

*** 

"Okay, let's go over this again." Samus sighed. "It was supposed to be simple. Retrace my steps, go back to the Plasma Beam, get it now that Draygon's dead, and get out of here." She looked down at her arm blaster, which now contained the devastating power of the Plasma Beam fused with the Wave and Ice Beams. She had had to unequip the Spazer; even the new multibeam system had its limits, it seemed. "The first part went off without a hitch... even better, since I also picked up an extra few bonuses on the way. It only stands to reason that the second part should as well." The bounty hunter looked around at the completely unfamiliar landscape, then screamed. "SO WHY THE HELL AM I LOST?" 

She glared up at the steady flow of sand falling from the ceiling. "The sand pit. It's always the sand pits. First before I whupped Draygon, and now again aftet? Why do these things hate me?" Something hit her on the head. Two somethings. "OW! OW!" It was a Missile Tank and another Reserve Tank, fallen from the sand as well. "Whoa.. deja vu. Well, glad SOMETHING good came out of this... okay, enough complaing. Back to work. Door on the left, or door on the right... let's go with... right." Walking through, Samus walked past three Evirs, who smiled and waved when they saw her. 

"Hey, bounty hunter!" Samus turned to them, smiled back and waved as well. Because of this, she can be forgiven for not watching where she was going and seeing the hole in the floor. Yelling in surprise, the bounty hunter plummeted through and landed on her rear. 

"Yeowch..." Rubbing the sore spot, Samus got back up. What she saw immediately cheered her up. "A map station! Yes! Finally, I can find out where I am..." Downloading it, she took a look. "Hmm... this way leads back to Brinstar... but I don't want that. I want the way up to Crateria..." Examining it further, the bounty hunter slapped herself in the face. If she had taken the left door in the room she had just been in, she would have been back on the road she had taken to get back up to Draygon during her first sand pit fiasco. Shaking her head and muttering curses in Chozo, Samus returned to the path and soon had ascended to the uppermost portion of Maridia. And what the bounty hunter saw up there made her want to scream. 

"I don't believe this..." She growled, looking ahead of her, and then back to the map. "No way... this can't be real." Unfortunately, it was. She was standing... in front of the Plasma Beam storage room again. There were two more doors; the lower one led to Draygon's old room, and the higher one... it was the way out up to Crateria. She had walked right past it while getting the Plasma Beam. "Okay, that's it. Somebody up there's playing jokes on me. Well, whoever it is, I can assure them I'm NOT LAUGHING!" Angrily frying a few acidic Chute Leeches, she jumped out of the water into a swamplike area and hopped across a few small islands to the door. The bounty hunter emerged in a small room with a sand pit seperating her from the door on the other side. 

"Well, I'm sure as hell not falling in he-WHOA!" Samus jumped, and the head of the angry Yapping Maw shot under her. She froze it and landed, wiping her brow. "Well, THAT was unexpected... and dirty. Draygon must've had that guy transplanted here for just this purpose... tricky SOB." The Maw was beginning to recover, so without further delays Samus jumped across the pit and went on, back into the swamps. Here, the only thing breaking the surface of the water were large, thick clumps of vegetation. Testing one with her foot, Samus decided they were sturdy enough to stand on and made her way across, clearing out slimy Puyos and more Chute Leeches. At the other end of the swamp, she found a familair-looking vertical shaft. Freezing Rippers to use as steps, the bounty hunter climbed up to the top, and took the waiting elevator back up to Crateria. 

"Now, to just get back to my ship..." Samus muttered as she climbed through a beach cavern that met the tide. Grunting, the bounty hunter crawled into some narrow tunnels. "Grab a nap, and talk with Horzat again... then go after Ridley. Heh... bet that old crab'll be interested about Draygon and the Motchroids." She rolled her eyes. "Those things were just pathetic. Slow, stupid, clumsy, and weak. They didn't even need Missiles to kill! I probably just put them out of their misery... the other creatures in Maridia would have gotten them all before any of them grew up. And those fangs..." She smiled, remembering the one time a Motchroid had gotten close enough to feebly attempt draining her energy. "More like toothpicks... or pencils! Yeesh! Just sad. Those clones were an insult to Matrix... he's a lot tougher. He's got some real fangs, unlike those things... he could drain energy with the best of-" Samus suddenly froze, realizing what she was saying. "...What the HELL am I doing?! Matrix isn't going to drain anybody's life! I raised him better than that..." 

_But now Ridley is raising him,_ A nasty little voice in the back of her mind said. _And even so, you really don't want him to be completely tame, do you? After all, you aren't... you want him to be able to stand up for himself, and fight for himself, right? And maybe even more... after all, he is a Metroid, and draining life is what Metroids naturally do... besides, he'll probably do it anyway... no mattter what you do, he is still a Metroid..._ Samus shook her head, clearing away the distraction as she hopped past some Kago nests and finally emerged on the open shoreline of the Maridian ocean. Directly in front of her was the familiar sight of Phantoon's wrecked ship. 

"Almost there..." The bounty hunter went through the ship as fast as possible, eager to return to her own vessel. Once she was through, Samus jumped across the last few waves and entered the small cavern that seperated the two ships. It was but the work of a moment to dispose of the KiHunters in there before she came out onto the plain that was her landing spot. "Finally... time for some rest." 

"Not quite yet, bounty hunter." A voice said from her right. Samus spun around and saw a single Space Pirate leaning against the outside wall of the cave nonchalantly. The Zebesian was old... older, even, than Horzat. However, his exoskeleton was shiny and metallic, and his eyes still held a cold fire. He appeared to be making no move to attack, but Samus kept her blaster trained on him jsut in case. 

"All right, Ezer... or Garan, whichever." She said, as those were the only two Zebesians she knew had that kind of armor. They hadn't looked this old on Ceres, of course, but the light had been bad then. "Tell me why I shouldn't just cap you here and now on principle." 

"To start, I am not Ezer or Garan. They are my sons." The Zebesian looked at her grimly. "My name is Zeral. I... was... the personal assistant to Mother Brain. As to why you should not kill me... first, I am only a messenger. And second..." He opened his claw, revealing that he held a Power Bomb. "Yes, I know your Power Suit is somehow immune to these... but your ship is not, and while we can't find that due to its cloaking, we know it's around here, so the explosion would damage it." Samus glared at him. 

"Grrr... fine. What's the message?" 

"The message is simple." Zeral explained. "My sons and Ridley are all waiting for you in his Lair at the lowest portion of Norfair, near the core of Planet Zebes. The map station at the entrace to Norfair has been updated to show you how to get to the Lair... I'm sure you remember where it is." He stood up. "That's all there is for my to tell you. They'll be there when you're ready..." The Pirate walked across to the other side of the plains and departed into the tunnels. Samus made sure he was gone, then entered her ship. 

"Ugh... feels good to be back." She muttered, taking off her suit. "Hey, computer. Any messages from Horzat?" 

"None." The ship's computer responded. Samus shrugged. 

"Didn't think so... he's probably still asleep. I'll catch him after my own nap." Entering her bedroom, Samus flopped down and was snoring within minutes. 

*** 

Horzat was, in many ways, a creature of habit. He always wore his fake beard, he always kept his computer on while the bar was open, he always made sure everything was fully stocked before opening, and he always woke up the same way. His alarm clock slowly built up music, then exploded in a deafening blast. Yelling, Horzat fell out of the bed, then slowly rose, releasing several four-letter words with perfect timing sharpened by years of work in a millitary society. After turning the clock off, he donned the pegleg, eyepatch and fake beard, then grabbed his cane and stumped downstairs to the bar. The bartender immediately booted up his computer, without bothering to look around first like he usually did. As it turned out, that was a mistake. 

"Let's see if I've gotten any more messages from Zebes yet..." 

"And why, exactly, would you be expecting a message from Zebes?" A voice asked challengingly. Horzat spun around with a startled oath to see the speaker, standing near the door. He was a middle-aged human with thinning brown hair, dressed in the uniform of an officer in the Galactic Federation; Horzat wasn't sure enough of the distinction to guess his exact rank, and he didn't really care anyways. The officer was flanked by a pair of toughs, also in uniforms. "Zebes is the headquarters of the Space Pirates. Most honest people don't have anything to do with it. Why have you been sending and recieving transmissions from Zebes lately all of a sudden, hmmm? Would the fact that it started right after the theft of the last Metroid from Space Station Ceres have anything to do with this, perhaps? What do you think?" 

"I hope you're not suggesting what I think you are." Horzat growled, his one good eye turning angry. "I may be old, but I can still kick the ass of guys a lot tougher than you if they offend me, boy... and if I'm right, what you just said was about as offensive as things get." The officer chuckled, amused. 

"I doubt we've been introduced. My name is Commander Mark Todar of the Galactic Federation." Horzat tried not to show his surprise, nor any sign of being impressed, and continued glaring. 

"Horzat. Former Space Pirate, ranked Captain of Unit 34A, now bartender. That should do it for the pleasantries. Now, would you care to explain why you saw fit to break into my bar before opening hours..." He looked at the wreckage in the doorframe. "...And destroy my property? For a Federation Commander, you sure don't know the law too well, do you? I hope you're planning to pay for that door... otherwise, you'll be spending the night in the local lockup, Commander or no Commander." 

"The door is unimportant." Todar shrugged. "What IS important... well, to answer your question... we're here to check out a report on unauthorized transmissions to a hostile planet... with suspicions of collaberation." The Zebesian stared at him. 

"Collaberation...? Wait a second..." He suddenly began laughing, a rare occurance for him. "You think... that I'm going back over to the Pirates?! Oh, god, this is rich! You've just said the funniest thing I've heard all year!" Command Todar, however, did not look amused. 

"I assure you, I am not laughing. This is not a joking matter. Especially at this particular time, any communications with Zebes are looked upon as highly suspicious by us at the Federation. And you, of course, are a special case." Horzat frowned. 

"What do you mean by that?" Todar buffed his fingernails against his jacket buttons, still smiling. 

"It's quite simple, my friend. You are a Zebesian... and a former Pirate. As such, we have to wonder what exactly you in particular are doing making calls to Zebes... and the courts will take that into account." 

"You're saying because I'm a Zebesian, I'm more of a suspect than normal people?" The bartender growled. Todar shrugged. 

"If that's what it comes down to, then yes, I suppose so. What is your point, exactly?" Horzat smirked. 

"Bad idea, "friend." You don't want to do that." The Commander frowned, nonplussed. 

"Oh? And why not?" 

"This is one of, if not the, most popular bar on Magani." Horzat explained. "Your breaking in hasn't gone unnoticed. Several of my patrons are undoubtably out there right now, listening to this. If you take me in, word'll spread like wildfire, and before you know it... well... can you say 'Species Discrimination?' Your position isn't THAT secure, Commander." Todar glared at him. 

"...Very well. In that case, would you mind explaining to me why you are making and recieving calls to and from Zebes?" Horzat's smirk grew wider. 

"Something else you should know. Samus Aran is my best customer, and a good friend of mine to boot. Those calls had her on the other end... she just needed a buddy to talk to sometimes. She's doing quite well, actually." 

"So you say..." The Commander looked dubious. "Do you have any proof that what you say is true?" Horzat looked downward. 

"Well... no." 

"I didn't think so." The look of smug superiority returned to Todar's face. "Very well. You have offered a reasonable explanation, and we are prepared to give you the benfit of the doubt. However... do not make or recieve any more Zebes calls. Mickey, set his computer up with it." One of the toughs moved over to Horzat's computer, inserted a disk, and worked with it for a few moments before withdrawing. "That'll block you off. And whatever you do, don't try to break through it... I can assure you, things will go very badly with you if you do. Come on, boys, let's get outta here." The three Federation members started to leave. As he was about to step out, Todar turned, as if suddenly remembering something. "Oh yeah... here's for the door." Tossing some credits on the ground, he departed. Horzat glared after him. 

"Prick." Scooping them up, the bartender began getting his establishment ready for the day. About half an hour before he opened, his computer beeped with an incoming message. He looked over to see an automatic response pop up. 

THIS ADDRESS IS NO LONGER ACCEPTING COMMUNICATIONS FROM ZEBES, BY ORDER OF THE GALACTIC FEDERATION. 

"That's blunt enough..." Horzat sighed. "Hope Samus is okay. Better not think about it..." With that, he forcibly put it out of mind for several hours, up until about when Gelltor and Welhaam came in. 

"Hey, Horzat!" The Drakar pickpocket and his friend sat down at the counter. "Any word from Samus? Oh, wait... that's right, the Federation's been getting in the way... we heard." Horzat nodded grumpily as he polished a glass. 

"It's a real pain in the butt, all right..." The bartender agreed. He glanced up at one of the many television sets... and froze, stiff as a plank. The glass fell to the floor and broke. Gelltor blinked. 

"What's wrong?" Horzat gestured towards the screen with his good claw, unspeaking. Gelltor looked, and he went pale. "Holy... no... no friggin' way..." 

"Way." Horzat coughed. "HEY! Everybody! Anyone here a good hacker?" Welhaam perked up, immediately knowing why he was asking. 

"I'm the gal for the job, but are you sure? Breaking a Federation restraint could get you in a lot of trouble... what do you need to tell Samus that's THAT important?" 

"That." Horzat pointed at the television. The Elocto looked, and her eye widened, looking as if it was going to pop out. 

"WHOA. Well, that's major all right... but you gotta be sure you wanna go through with this. I can't make the choice for you... it's your skin, not mine." Horzat nodded, thoughts racing through his mind at fever pitch. He teetered from one extreme of thought to the other, from self-preservation to priorities... and then, he made his decision. 

*** 

THIS ADDRESS IS NO LONGER ACCEPTING COMMUNICATIONS FROM ZEBES, BY ORDER OF THE GALACTIC FEDERATION. 

"..." Samus looked at the screen for a long moment, then turned away with a few low-pitched comments on the ancestry and personal habits of Federation Officers. "Hope Horzat's okay... at least they haven't locked him up yet, by the looks of the message. Still, I think I'm going to need to have a little talk with the Feds when I get back..." She frowned, remembering some of the things she had discovered on Space Station Ceres. "On many various subjects..." For the most part, since she had arrived on Zebes, Samus had tried not to think about the greatest reason she had come here. Matrix. She had fallen back into her old mindset, concentrating on the mission of shutting down the Pirates and the job of hunting bounties. Now, though, when she was so close to the end, the bounty hunter found her thoughts drifting back to the little blob of Metroid, and she realized that she wasn't so sure she wanted to hand him back over to the Federation again once she had him. More and more, she found evidence leading towards something she was still hoping against; that the Federation was rotten at the core. 

"Keep on track, Aran." Samus shook her head. She could worry about the Federation later. Right now, her priority was the Pirates. Ridley. Exiting her ship, the bounty hunter made her way through Crateria and Brinstar at top speed. As she was about to take the elevator down to Brinstar, though, she saw motion from the entrance to Kraid's Lair. "Hmmm..." She hid behind a stalagmite, and watched as several grey KiHunters emerged from the gargoyle's maw. 

"This was all that remained?" The apparent leader inquired, holding up a single Missile Tank. The others bowed their heads. 

"I am afraid so, Captain... the bounty hunter pillaged it well." The Captain shook his head disgustedly. 

"More likely, you babies just didn't search hard enough... but we have spent too much time here already. We must hurry to Crateria." 

"What for, Captain?" Another one asked timidly. 

"Our scientests have finally found a way to give us KiHunters G-Level protection like the Zebesians. With it, we can be completely protected from the accursed heat of Norfair." His team released a mass groan. 

"Don't tell us we're being stationed there next!" The Captain nodded grimly. 

"We are. Aran is heading there now, and we must be there to-" Samus had gotten bored with listening to them talk. Within a few seconds, none of the KiHunters would need to worry about being stationed in Norfair ever again. Grabbing the Missile Tank that the leader had been carrying, she took the elevator down. 

"Back to the lava land..." Samus sighed. "Brinstar and Maridia had beauty... and at least the rain in Crateria is nice to fall asleep to. Norfair, though..." Shaking her head, she went into the Map Station nearby and downloaded the map. Checking it, she discovered that Zeral had spoken the truth... on the other side of Norfair, down at the very bottom, a new section was marked "Ridley's Lair." She had been near it before, but hadn't spotted the entrance. "Great... all the way over there." Examining the map closer, though, brought good news; a secret passage was also shown that would get her to the entrance much faster than the normal way. "Much better." Returning to the standard vertical elevator shaft, Samus dropped down to the bottom and went through the door... only to be confronted by a one-way gate, which she was on the wrong side of. "Dammit! Huh?" The gate raised, and the red Zebesian on the other side bowed. 

"Lord Ridley sent me when he realized this gate would impede your progress. He awaits." Samus nodded perfunctorily and walked past him, crossing a metal bridge over a lava river while blowing away small lava dragons. Where the bridge ended, however, the lava did not. She could have just waded across with the Gravity Suit's protection, but the riverbed was also lined with spikes. 

"Walking through that would not be pleasant." Samus smuled. "Fortunately, I don't have to. Time to test out the Space Jump for real." Launching herself into the air, she waited until the apex of her jump had passed, then used the artifact to create a jet of force from her feet, jumping again in mid-air. Further testing proved that it could indeed keep her up for as long as she needed. "This is almost like flying..." She murmured. "This is amazing... now I know why Ridley's so proud of his wings... this is unlike anything I've ever done before..." She could have stayed in that room for hours, simply enjoying her newfound mastery of the air, but reality brought her back to earth. "I don't have time to play with this now... I can do that later. Right now, I've got an appointment with a Drakar." Still, she though as she landed on the other side of the lava, now she would never have to worry about Matrix flying away from her. Walking through a door, Samus frowned; it looked like a dead end. 

"No way... he wouldn't send me all this way for nothing." Using her X-Ray Visor, Samus quickly found the tiny, hidden tunnel and crawled through it in Morph Ball mode. On the other side was a yellow door, which she opened with a Power Bomb. That led to a dead-end with a small lava pool. At least it looked small at first; when Samus walked to the edge and looked down, she discovered it was really very deep. Checking her map, the bounty hunter reluctantly concluded that she would have to go through it to enter Ridley's lair. "Might as well get this over with... BANZAI!" She jumped in and discovered to her surprise that with her Gravity Suit, the lava felt no worse than a too-hot shower. It was still uncomfortable, but as long as she moved fast the damage would be minimal. So she did, Space Jumping to the other side of the lava lake and out, landing in front of the entrance to Ridley's Lair. Samus stared. 

"...Ostentatious." Like Kraid's Lair, the entrance was a gargoyle. Unlike the one in front of Kraid's Lair, though, this one had a more personal touch. It was a huge, purple Drakar head, at least five times as big as Kraid's gargoyle. Past the menacing grin was a door in the throat. "Well, I'll give Ridley this. Nobody's gonna come in here by accident." She walked in and found an elevator waiting for her. "Once again, a bit ostentatious. None of the others had their Lairs seperated by elevators. Sigh... Ridley's ego appears to be getting the better of him. I'll have to talk with him about that." With that, she took the elevator down. 

"Whoa..." Samus could only stare. Ridley's lair was filled with old marble pillars and structures. It was collapsed, of course, but the fact remained that there had once been an ancient civilization here. The Chozo. "No matter where I go... I always find their legacy waiting for me..." Unfortunately, these ruins would not hold much for her... their proximity to the planet's core had destroyed most of what had been here, and the rest had undoubtably been taken by the Pirates. Samus looked at half a pillar, then sighed and went back to business, taking a door on her left. She found a lake of molten lava, and could tell on sight that it was a lot hotter than the normal Norfair fare. Her Gravity Suit wouldn't be able to stand up to this stuff for long. Thus, she jumped over it to a partially broken wall of Bendezium bricks. Reluctantly tearing it down with a Power Bomb revealed a standing Chozo Statue with its hands open. 

"Hmm... I remember what to do here." Changing into Morph Ball mode, Samus jumped into the Statue's hands. There was a rumbling, and all of the lava drained. The bounty hunter dropped to the bottom of the pool, through the "drain" hole and into a door. On the other side was a Missile Tank. Samus happily pocketed it... and fell through the floor, cursing intensely. "Sonofa-! Perfect trap... and I fell for it! Huh?" As she landed in a large, open room below, something else fell from above. It was a Chozo Statue, and it dislodged a Super Missile Tank as it tumbled down from the ceiling. Samus took the Tank, then looked at the Statue. It wasn't holding anything. "Huh... another one I should-YAH!" She leaped back in surprise as the Statue opened its eyes and stood up, glaring at her. "Oh, great, another Torizo... huh?!" It shimmered, and its rocky skin turned to a brilliant gold. With a shriek of rage, the Golden Torizo launched itself at Samus. 

"_SCREEEECH!_" The guardian statue's mouth opened, and out came a barrage of rocks that bounced along the ground before exploding from the lava contained within. Samus jumped back and fired a Super Missile. The Golden Torizo easily snatched it out of the air with its bare hands, looked at it contemptuously, then flung it away. Samus frowned. 

"Fast bugger, huh? Well, how about this?" She fired a regular Missile, faster than Supers. This time the Golden Torizo could not grab it, and the explosive hit it full in the chest... and bounced off the armor. The guardian blinked, than began making a hooting sound like laughter. Samus was not amused. "All right... how's about something with piercing power!" She charged up a blast, then released it into the Golden Torizo's face. As it turned out, the combination of the armor-piercing Wave Beam and the sheer power of the Plasma Beam was unhealthy for Torizos. Screaming in pain now, the statue fired a pair of heat beams from its eyes. Samus jumped, and watched the floor melt where the beams struck. 

"That ain't healthy... close those orbs!" She fired again, methodically into each of the Golden Torizo's eyes, melting them shut. Howling, it used its claws to create a series of crescent-shaped blades of energy, then sent them flying at her. Samus winced as each one struck, but managed to return fire. After several shots, she finally managed to destroy the arms. Now desperate, the Golden Torizo spewed stone eggs that hatched into tiny, rock minions who launched themselves at the bounty hunter. But she would not be deterred; hurdling them so they crashed into the wall, she stuck her blaster into the Golden Torizo's open beak. 

"Say aaah." One last shot, and the back of the Golden Torizo's head exploded. With a groan, the entire thing collapsed into rubble, leaving only a single, shining piece left. The core, which Samus picked up reverently. "The Screw Attack." The most powerful creation of the Chozo race, the Screw Attack surrounded her body with a locus of plasma when she jumped that would eat through anything she collided with. Alone, it was a deadly weapon, but combined with the Space Jump... devastating. Samus smiled as she took it; to her knowledge, except for more Tanks, she was at full power now. 

"Ridley wants a fight... he's going to get one, all right." 

*** 

"This is not going at all as it should." Mother Brain snarled to herself, in the depths of New Tourian. The Pirate Queen had been growing increasingly frustrated with things over the past few days, and she had reason to; from her point of view, whatever gods there were had decided to use her as their punching bag. At first, things had been looking up; with the capture of Matrix and defeat of Aran by Ridley, it seemed that luck finally smiled upon the Space Pirates. And then Aran had arrived and ruined it all, carving a path of destruction through Crateria, Brinstar, Maridia and Norfair, slaughtering any Pirate in her way and killing three of Mother Brain's four Pirate Lords. She glared over at the Galdezium tank where Matrix crouched sullenly. And that was another thing; the cursed Metroid had proven so far to be completely useless. He was still too weak to be subjected to radiation for division, and showed no signs of growing anytime soon. The cloning had failed miserably; all she had gotten out of THAT were the inferior Motchroids, which she had promptly shipped off to Maridia. That failure was made even worse by alienating Matrix; ever since she had had the DNA extracted, the little Metroid had refused to come near "Mommy" no matter how hard she pleaded, cajoled, commanded or threatened. He had disliked Kraid, Phantoon and Draygon as well; strangely enough, the only one Matrix was willing to approach was Ridley. It was enough to make her want to... The Pirate Queen's thoughts were cut off as she head somebody enter her chamber. "Who's there?" 

"Only me, milady." It was Zeral, her loyal Zebesian assistant. Mother Brain nodded, not smiling as he stood in front of her. 

"You are back. And did you deliver the message to Aran accordingly, my loyal Zeral?" 

"Milady, please." The Zebesian looked offended. "Have you no faith in me? Of course I delivered the message as you ordered." 

"Just checking." Mother Brain reassured him, and he relaxed, bowing to her. "I just wanted to make sure... it is a rare thing when a Pirate returns from speaking with her in one piece, even my aide." Zeral smiled grimly. 

"It appears we were right with our guessing about the general location of her ship... Aran REALLY didn't want me dropping that Power Bomb." 

"At least something went right for once..." Mother Brain sighed. Her aide frowned and walked closer. 

"Is something wrong, milady?" 

"EVERYTHING is going wrong, Zeral." She said wearily. "Kraid, Phantoon and Draygon are dead. Aran is heading for Ridley as we speak, probably to do the same to him and your sons. And once they have fallen as well, she will immediately come here to rescue Matrix... the last of the Metroids, and a complete failure!" Matrix twitched its fangs in an insulting manner. Zeral cleared his throat. 

"Milady, if I may speak truthfully... I believe you are underestimating Ezer, Garan and Ridley. I've seen my boys in action... they are very good. Alone, of course, they are not on the same level as Aran or the Pirate Lords... but they will be fighting her together, two against one, where your Lords have always insisted on fighting alone. I think they have a chance, at least. As for Ridley... despite having been killed twice by Aran even before this, I do not think there is any doubt that he is the greatest of your Pirate Lords. He did defeat Aran on Space Station Ceres, even if she was not at full potential, and having fought her three times now, he undoubtably knows her abilities and strategies more than any other. And even if he fails as well, you do still have... Project B, milady." Mother Brain brightened up hearing his words. 

"That is true... perhaps I should give those three more credit. They DID secure Matrix for me, despite his uselessness... I won't give up on them yet, then. And as for Project B..." She showed a dastardly grin. "I had almost forgotten about that... yes, I think Aran will be very... unhappy... if she sees it. You are very good at pep talk, Zeral." The Zebesian bowed once again. 

"I live to serve, milady." The two Pirates' glee was cut off by the sound of Matrix ramming into the Galdezium tank repeatedly. Mother Brain sniggered. 

"Look at him, Zeral. Every bit as fiesty as his 'mother,' that one is. But like Aran, now he's caught in our trap. Like that Galdezium wall, the Space Pirates will never let her escape." Suddenly, with a supreme effort, Matrix backed up to the rear end of the tank and flung himself forward fangs first, smashing through the Galdezium. He immediately dove towards Zeral. The Zebesian screamed and fell back, watching death swoop down on him... and then Matrix fell to the floor, stunned by an intense psionic blast from Mother Brain. The Pirate Queen glared down at her fallen underling. 

"Don't just sit there, fool! Quickly, get the backup container out of that wall compartment and put him in it!" Nodding, Zeral scrambled to his feet and pulled out another Galdezium tank. As Matrix began to stir, the Zebesian grabbed him and shoved him into the new prison. It slammed shut not a second too late; Matrix slammed into the wall just as it closed and slid down, senseless. The two Pirates didn't speak for several moments; Zeral stood, clutching his chest, while Mother Brain just watched the unconscious Metroid. Neither gave voice to the thoughts racing through both their minds on the bad omen. Finally, the aged aide spoke again. 

"Well, I'm not much use here, milady. Perhaps I should get going and see to the... emergency preparations." Mother Brain nodded in dismissal. As Zeral turned to leave through the door behind her, though, she spoke as well. 

"Oh, and Zeral... in the event that those emergency preparations do come to pass... I've arranged for a pair of additional places on the _Norfair_ for your sons. They're stupid, but loyal, and good enough fighters to be worth reviving after the Pirate Lords." Zeral almost tripped over himself as he quickly bowed in gratitude. 

"Thank you, milady... they do not deserve-" 

"Just get going." She barked. Zeral nodded and departed. The Pirate Queen's attention returned to Matrix, who was beginning to recover and slowly rise back up into the air. 

"What am I going to do with you, my little last of the Metroids..." She whispered as she watched the infant fly around, still dazed. "Such power you hold within your tiny frame... more than any of my Pirate Lords..." Mother Brain found her thoughts drifting back to her four underlings. Ridley, the warrior... his power mainly came in the body, all deadly claw and coiling tail, although it also shone through in his fierce spirit, burning like a flame... Kraid, the scientest... his powers were of the brain, and the realm of science, creating wonders that made the earth tremble... Draygon, the torturer... he had held powers over spirits, breaking those of the unfortunates who fell into his grasp like shards of ice, overcome in a flood of agony... and Phantoon, the thief... silent as the air, quick as the wind, and stealthy as nightfall... Mother Brain's lip curled as she remembered how pathetic a fighter that one had been when he had first arrived. She had had to increase his strength by menas of her vast mental abilities, sending him psionic energy through his connection to the ethereal realm. Such could only be done to creatures who had an inherent connection to something having to do with life and death itself... and then, in a flash, she had the answer to the problem of Matrix. With an evil chuckle, the Pirate Queen looked upon the baby Metroid, now fully recovered, and smiled. 

"Now, I finally know how to use you, little Matrix... Aran will be in for a surprise indeed..." 

*** 

"Still works as good as I remember." Samus grunted as she finished tearing through a pack of red rocket Rippers with the Screw Attack. Opening a Super Missile gate, she entered a small room. As she was about to pass through, though, the bounty hunter heard voices from above, and stopped to listen. 

"Come on, hurry! We need to get to our stations before she arrives!" One voice hissed. 

"Wha-what if we're too late and she's already gone through?" Another asked. The first groaned. 

"Then dad will rip us out of our shells and give us to the Metroids! Move it, bro, we gotta be there to protect lord Ridley!" The voices faded out. Samus smiled grimly. 

"I'd bet anything those were Ezer and Garan... so they're guarding Ridley." She looked at her blaster. "I'm going to enjoy paying those two back for Ceres when I catch up to them..." Advancing, she ripped through some ancient pillars over rising lava and climbed a vertical shaft full of Zebesians, destroying them all and picking up a Missile Tank from one of the corpses. The next, gigantic room was filled with Zebesians. It was also filling with lava. Samus wasted no time with individual fighting; she simply plowed through everything with her Screw Attack to get to the door onward across the room near the ceiling. The next room held bright red G-Level KiHunters, but they too were unable to stand against the power of the Screw Attack. 

"I LOVE this thing!" Samus declared exultantly as she opened a yellow door with a Power Bomb and continued deeper. What she found was a huge, thick Chozo statue of a different, more totemlike design than the artifact holders. Flame jets fired on either side of it. "This must have been some kind of temple for the ancient Chozo..." Samus realized. She laid a hand on the totem's head almost reverently. "I'm sorry... I wish I had time to explore this place, to learn more... but I have to go save a young one, just as you saved me." She turned and walked on, forcing herself not to turn back. It didn't help that the hall ahead of her was lined on either side by similar totems. Biting her lip, Samus walked on to the end of the hall. The only good thing was a Power Bomb Tank lying discarded in front of the door. Taking it, she walked in. Waiting for her, side by side, perfectly identical, were a pair of Zebesians whose exoskeletons were shiny and metallic. 

"Well, well, well." Ezer smirked. "Little miss Samus Aran. It's about time you got here." 

"Ezer and Garan." Samus growled. "Where's Ridley?" Garan pointed a claw over his shoulder. 

"Back there, right past us. Through that locked door, which will only unseal itself if you kill both of us. We're not the smartest Pirates around, but we know how to be good guards. You're gonna have to do this the right way if you want to fight the bossman." 

"Fine by me." Samus growled, raising her blaster. "You two should do just fine for a warm-up. I owe you two a great deal anyways... for all those people you butchered on Space Station Ceres." 

"Oh, what bad boys we are." Ezer laughed. "Listen to her, bro. She's here to punish us for doing evil things." Garan snickered. 

"Well then, missy, let's see you do it!" With a war cry, he charged at her. Samus moved forward to meet him, and her blaster collided with his foot. They leaped back and landed, Garan landing with his legs slightly bent in an expert stance before kicking again. Samus responded with a Super Missile that hit the Pirate thug dead center in the chest... doing absolutely nothing. 

"Huh?!" Garan laughed. 

"We're no ordinary Zebesians, hunter! Check this out!" He held out his claw, and Samus saw that the metal wasn't just armor, but was actually bonded to his exoskeleton. "The latest in cybernetics! We're completely plated with Bendezium! And don't get any idea about Power Bombs... the cybernetic part offers shock protection specifically designed for that. Of course, it did cost us our claw blasters, but it DOES let us do this nifty trick! Hit her, bro!" Something smashed into the back of Samus' head, and she turned to see Ezer waving one claw. The other... was attached to her head. Yelling, she threw it off, then recoiled as another hit her. 

"They regenerate, you see." Ezer explained. "We can do that infinitely, and you can't even hurt us!" Samus narrowed her eyes. 

"Well, I bet I know something that'll work on you..." She launched herself towards Garan in a Screw Attack, but the crafty Pirate jumped into the air himself and dodged it. As soon as she landed, he blasted at her with a flying kick to the head. 

"Nice try, hunter, but you can't nail us with-huh?" Garan's skin had changed, the metal dimming to a sickly yellow. He frowned. "Dammit... must've overworked the cybernetics... there we go!" A moment later, he returned to his normal colors. But that moment had shown Samus what she needed... how to beat them. 

"Have to nail them both at once..." She muttered to herself. "If I only get one, there's no way the other will fall for it..." Returning to battle, she began maneuvering around Ezer and Garan's claws and kicks until they were standing side by side once again, then launched herself towards them in another Screw Attack. And again, the simpleminded Zebesian thugs jumped it and retaliated with a flying kick. Unfortunately for them, Samus had expected this, and immediately gone into Morph Ball mode. They sailed over and landed behind her. Ezer grunted. 

"Nice dodge, but that won't-HUH?!" Upon seeing her, the Pirate and his brother realized what Samus had really been doing when she went Morph Ball... setting a Power Bomb. The two brothers looked at each other in horror, seeing the dull yellow on their skin from when the cybernetics had temporarily been overloaded by the flying kicks. And then the Power Bomb erupted, filling their world with pain. Ezer and Garan screamed in unimaginable agony as the Bendezium fused to their skin was peeled away by the energy blast, piece by piece and plate by plate. But that wasn't all; Samus had been holding another Power Bomb in her hand without realizing it as she deequipped all of her Beams except the Charge and Spazer. As she charged a blast, something completely unexpected happen; the charge went into the Power Bomb she held, which glowed yellow for a moment before dissolving into a swarm of energy darts that clustered over the defenseless Pirates, leaving them bloody, mangled wrecks. However, Samus Aran wasn't done with them yet. The bounty hunter slowly walked towards the two ruined Zebesians, disgust stamped on every line of her face. 

"Get up." When they failed to respond, she unleashed her beam, causing them to scream even more. That was why she had deequipped the other Beams; she wanted to goad them, not kill them. "I said get up, you accursed murderers. You claim to be great warriors... but yet you crouch there, squealing in the dirt, afraid for your own lives. The people you slaughtered on Ceres weren't like that... they all chose to stand and fight against you instead of running for their lives. Even Olvarey, corrupt as he was, chose to raise the alert instead of giving you the Metroid to save his own skin. They were far braver than you two could ever be... you're just cowards at heart." She watched, impassive, as the two Pirates slowly struggled to rise, finally whipped into action. Finally, they made it to their feet and turned to her. After several moments, Ezer spoke. 

"We are a lot of things, hunter... but we are no cowards. We have fought, and failed, and now we meet our fate. That door is unlocked... Ridley awaits." Samus looked at them for a moment more, then spoke three words. 

"They are avenged." 

Two Super Missiles flew straight and true! 

*** 

Samus walked past the corpses of Ezer and Garan without another word, and entered the door behind them. The room she entered was pitch-black, without any light. Samus knew what that meant. She immediately set a Power Bomb. It exploded, and with a cry of pain, the lights in the room turned on, revealing Ridley. 

"HEY!" The Pirate Lord yelled. "What was THAT for? You RUINED my dramatic entrance!" 

"That's exactly why I did it." Samus retorted. "I figure we've known each other long enough not to need drama. Besides, I've been itching for this fight for a long time now, you know." 

"Same here, same here." Ridley admitted. "At any rate, here's what you want to hear. This door behind me leads to my personal quarters, and in there is the container I brought little Matrix here in from Ceres. But to get to it, you're going to have to get past me." 

"Your boys Ezer and Garan said much the same thing." The bounty hunter observed calmly. "They're dead, by the way." Ridley blew a raspberry. 

"Well, DUH. You wouldn't be in here if they weren't. They performed their final duties, and now it's completely up to me to take you down." He stretched his wings, fanned out his claws and grinned wickedly. "Shall we get started on that now, then?" Samus nodded. 

"Yeah, let's. Oh, one more thing. I recently picked up a certain Chozo artifact that's going to make this fight completely different from all our others." 

"Oh, really?" The Drakar blinked. "How would that be?" 

"It's called the Space Jump." Samus leaped into the air and demonstrated its usage. "Call it a gift from Draygon." Ridley stared, wide-eyed, as she stayed in the air, defying gravity. But the Drakar did not seem displeased; as a matter of fact, a huge grin of joy slowly spread across his draconish features. 

"You can fly... YOU CAN FLY!" He began cackling madly and clapped in approval. "Finally, the last barrier keeping our duels from reaching full potential is torn down! I hope you're comfortable up there in the air, Samus... because I"m coming for you!" With a shriek, the Drakar launched himself into the air as well, and the battle was joined. 

The first impact as felt heavily by them both, as the Bounty Hunter and the Pirate Lord smashed into each other at full velocity. Both were knocked back, and then rushed forward again, repeating the same each time as they attempted to knock each other back down to earth and failed. Samus was the first to break this pattern; falling back, she shot off a stream of Super Missiles. Ridley ignored their impacts as he blasted forward and smashed Samus into a wall. 

"This room's a little confining for a full arial duel... let's take care of that, shall we?" Smiling again, he hit a hidden panel in a wall, and another wall exploded, revealing a much more spacious arena. "Come and get me, Samus!" Laughing, the Drakar flew into the new chamber. Samus gave chase immediately, holding a cluster of Super Missiles at the ready. As soon as she emerged into the new chamber, Ridley attacked, diving towards her eagerly. She repulsed him with a flurry of Supers, and the Drakar flew away. 

"Well now... if you're using your ranged weapons, then I should probably start doing that too, don't you think?" 

"Knock yourself out." Samus agreed drily. 

"That's the spirit!" Opening his mouth, Ridley belched out a stream of fire that Samus spun around before retaliating with more Supers, which Ridley also dodged. The two foes danced around the edges of the room, sniping each other with flaming blasts and flying Supers. 

"Glad to see you aren't using the Sys-Gro too." Samus commented. Ridley looked offended. 

"Me? Use drugs? HA! When my brain's taken over by hive-minded parasites!" This time it was Ridley who broke the pattern; he spat a fireball as usual, but followed it up by blasting forward himself. Samus was taken off guard and knocked into a wall by the attack. 

"Oh, so that's how you want to play, huh..." She muttered. "Well, then... try some of this!" She spun towards him as well, and Ridley flew towards her eagerly. At the last second, Samus grabbed a Power Bomb and unleashed the same supercharged Spazer attack she had used on Ezer and Garan. Ridley, hit completely by surprise, was knocked out of his flight path and went spinning across the room into a wall himself. "HA! Now you know what it feels like!" 

"Hurts more than I had thought." The Pirate Lord admitted, prying himself out. "That's a new trick as well. You've been improving your skills a great deal lately, it seems..." 

"Same to you, pal." Samus quipped as she hit him with several more Supers. Ridley simply shrugged. 

"True, true..." Suddenly, he shot forward again and grabbed Samus in his claws. "I think I'll take a cue from Draygon here..." Repeatedly, painfully, the Drakar's claws dug into her power suit, sapping energy with each stab. Unfortunately for Ridley, he had overlooked the flaw in his attack. Samus coolly pushed her blaster into his scarred chest and launched Super Missile after Super Missile. Screaming in pain, he threw her away into a wall. 

"Ouch... well, I suppose I deserved that. Stupid of me, I know... should have known any attack Draygon liked wouldn't work. I won't be trying THAT little stunt again." 

"Good call." Samus agreed, returning to the attack. _And it's just as well, anyways._ The bounty hunter thought. _I'm out of Supers. Good thing he looks like he's hurting. WHOA!_ She moved to the side as Ridley's deadly tail whipped past, striking her arm. The Drakar shook his head. 

"Clumsy, clumsy, Samus! I almost got you there! Concentrate!" 

"Oh, I'm concentrating all right..." The bounty hunter muttered, spinning around him and firing salvos of Missiles. Ridley, undaunted, continued lashing out with his tail and spewing fire at the same time, although the plasma locus of the Screw Attack deflected a great deal of that. 

"Speaking of Draygon, thanks for taking him down." Ridley told her. "I HATED that guy." Samus raised an eyebrow. 

"Lemme guess. You were the one behind those cannons." 

"You know me too well!" Ridley laughed. "Anyways, if you win here, I've got a video for you in my room of his death. It's really pretty hilarious. There's several copies; couldja circulate 'em for me? I'm sure it'd be popular all over the galaxy, knowing his reputation." 

"Anything for an old friend." Samus said drily. The Drakar grinned at her. 

"Hey, thanks. But remember, that's ONLY if you win..." From that point, both foes were silent as the battle dragged on. Blows were traded, and shots were taken, as Ridley's endurance and Samus' energy tanks were both steadily worn down. _He's looking nearly done._ Samus observed as a rather clumsy and tired tailstrike missed completely. _I just need to land one really good... oh, I know..._ Accessing her beam controls, she disabled everything except the Wave and Charge Beams, and held a Power Bomb in her hand. _Let's hope this works..._ Ridley saw the Bomb, and laughed. 

"You gonna try those energy darts again? Well, this time I'm ready for-HUH?!" What emerged from the Bomb was not the energy darts, but four orbs of purple electricity that flew out in an X formation, then convered on Ridley, smashing into him from all sides with a million volts. With a scream, Ridley's body spasmed wildly, then began to drop. Samus looked down at where he would land, at the bottom of the large arena for the first time... and her eyes bugged out. The entire thing was a roiling mass of white-hot fire! 

"WHAT-" 

"The core... of the planet..." Ridley said falteringly. "Even I... will not be able to remain intact... complete... incineration. You have... defeated me for the... last time..." He began to plummet down. Samus watched him fall, as hundreds of conflicting thoughts ran through her head... and then she decided on her course of action. Blasting forward, the bounty hunter slammed into her rival's side and shoved him back into the room they had began the fight in. Ridley landed on the floor with a sickening thump, and slowly struggled upright. His eyes were dimming over with impending death, but Samus could still see the confusion in them. 

"You... why did you..." 

"You're a Pirate, you're evil, you're a merciless killer." Samus told him. "But you're the best warrior I've ever fought, and my greatest rival. For some reason, I don't want that to end. I've killed you twice before... a third time won't change that, but falling in there would have finished you for good. And that would mean I'd never get to fight you again. Don't ask me for any more explanation... just be ready to get your butt kicked again when they bring you back." 

"I... will." Ridley looked at her, and he actually smiled, even as the last vestiges of his life slipped away. "And Samus... for what it's worth... I'm... sorry." The bounty hunter blinked. 

"Sorry for what?" But Ridley did not answer. He simply pitched forward with one last sigh, and lay flat on the ground in front of her, dead. Samus looked at him, unable to shake off a feeling of dread that had suddenly come over her. She looked at her energy levels and choked; she had been down to her last Energy Tank without even knowing it. Draining all four Reserve Tanks to be on the safe side, she took the picture and scan for Ridley's bounty, then walked into the door behind him. 

"This is it..." Samus whispered. Her final opponent was dead, and her mission was only seconds away from completion. In moments, she would be reunited with... "Matrix? Where are you?" Ridley's personal quarters were one big, messy room; there was junk piled everywhere around the bed, throne and computer. Digging through the trash, Samus found many things; two Missile Tanks, two Energy Tanks, and a Power Bomb Tank; she even found those videos he had told her about. But no Matrix. Finally, she thought to look behind the throne... and for a brief moment, she wished she had let Ridley fall. Behind the throne was the smashed remnants of a Galdezium container. Technically, Ridley had told the truth. But Matrix wasn't here. 

*** 

The trip back to Crateria passed in a daze for Samus. She moved through Norfair and Maridia as if in a daze, moving mechanically and destroying everything that tried to stop her. Finally, she emerged back onto the plains where she had left her ship. 

"That room with the statues..." She muttered. "That's where he is... I'll just go in and refill my armament, in case there's anything guarding him..." She stepped into the ship, and was immediately greeted by the computer. 

"Urgent! Urgent! Incoming message from GrumpyOldZebesian! Priority one!" 

"Horzat...?" Samus blinked. "I thought he was blocked off from here by the Feds... what would be so important that he'd risk breaking it? Accept call." 

"Samus, you there?" The bartender's familiar voice came through. 

"Yeah. What's the problem? And aren't the Feds gonna haul you in for this?" 

'The Feds can screw themselves." Horzat replied tersely. "We've got bigger problems, I'm afraid. Pirate problems." 

"No, it's okay." She assured him. "All the Pirate Lords are dead... now all I have to do is pick up Matrix." 

"Well, that's fine and dandy." Horzat growled. "But it's not gonna be that easy, I'm afraid. This just came up an hour ago..." On her computer, a window opened. Samus looked at it... and her heart froze solid. 

Name: Mother Brain 

Bounty: 3000000 (Dead) 5000000 (Alive) 

Wanted For: Space Piracy Grand, Murder, Mass Destruction, Robbery Larceny, Kidnapping, Illegal Chemical Usage, Illegal Technology Usage, Grand Theft Spacecraft, Grand Theft Science, Organized Crime, and many other punishable offenses. 

Species: Unknown.   
Dossier: CLASSIFIED. Believed to be have been killed by Samus Aran on Zebes. However, a recent sighting on Galron has been confirmed. 

Last Seen: Galron. 

Home Planet: Unknown. 

"No..." Samus whispered. "_No..._" 


	8. Chapter 7: Matrix's Mother

**__**

Chapter 7: Matrix's Mother 

"Two-hundred and thirty Missiles. Fifty Super Missiles. Fifty Power Bombs. Twelve Energy Tanks. Four Reserve Tanks. Charge, Spazer, Wave, Ice and Plasma Beams. Gravity Suit. Hi-Jump Boots, Speed Booster, Spring Ball, Space Jump and Screw Attack." Samus grimly finished checking her armament for the last time. "It'll have to do, I suppose... nothing helping it now." 

"'It'll have to do?'" Horzat muttered, a little incredulously. "Samus, that artillery alone sounds like enough to take down a small planet." 

"So?" She retorted. "That doesn't mean a thing when we're talking about Mother Brain. Forget Ridley. Forget all of them. Mother Brain is THE Pirate Queen, Horzat. When I fought her before, I barely made it out with my life. I was literally an inch from death. And I don't have to tell you that she's sure to have another Tourian built." 

"Obviously." 

"Plus... she has Matrix." Samus closed her eyes. "She's had him this whole time. Those Motchroids were a while back. There's a very good chance that by now, Mother Brain's found a way to successfully create more... more Metroids. A way to recreate the nightmare... to threaten the entire galaxy once more." 

"Metroids..." Horzat muttered, half to himself. "Not tame ones like Matrix... but hungry, evil monstrosities that can suck the life right out of a being in just a few breaths... Metroids..." Samus sighed. 

"I thought I had seen the last of that on SR-388... that I had taken care of that forever." 

"So did we all, Samus... so did we all." The Zebesian bartender told her. Samus opened her eyes again. 

"And now, it's all come crashing back down.on me... it seems like no matter what I do, the Metroids are tied to my own destiny." Her eyes hardened. "Well, this time, I'm going to finish it... once and for all. I'll destroy Mother Brain again. And there will be only one Metroid that will ever get away from there." Her voice caught a little on that part, and Horzat frowned. 

"Samus... the other Metroids aren't really what you're worried about most... are they?" The bounty hunter closed her eyes again. 

"No..." She whispered. "No... it's Matrix... Mother Brain has psychic powers. You know that, Horzat. What if she uses them... what if she... changes him? Turns Matrix to her side... against me?" 

"No. No way. Ain't happening. Uh-huh." Horzat reassured her. "That is not happening, Samus. You raised that little bio-blip from an egg. No matter WHAT Mother Brain does to him, Matrix will never forget that... who his REAL mother is." 

"I hope so." Samus agreed. "I just don't think I'd have the heart to fight Matrix if it came down to that. You know what I'm talking about, right? Don't you?" Her voice had a slightly plaintive tone to it, and Horzat had to struggle for a few moments before he could answer. 

"Yeah... yeah, I think I do." Horzat was an old Zebesian, and he had been married once. Contrary to what some people believed, Zebesians knew what love was just as much as any other species. Horzat and his wife, Tazna, had never had any children; but if they had, the old bartender was sure that his love for them would have been matched by what was going through Samus' mind now. "Well, Samus... all I can say is that all of us will be praying for you... and Matrix." 

"Thanks, Horzat... thanks, guys." Samus nodded, moving to chnage the subject. "Speaking of you fellas... what are you gonna do when the Feds come knocking, Horzat?" The Zebesian shrugged. 

"Surrender and go in with them. Hrug the Iz trucker and some of the others wanted to set up barricades and an armed defense, but I ain't THAT ready to spit in the Federation's face. This was a stupid edict, but by the law, I've really stepped in it this time and Todar'll know it. Things'll go better if I just head in quietly." He raised an eyebrow. "However, I WILL be expecting you to get me out once you're done on Zebes. Don't even THINK about leaving me to rot." Samus pretended to consider it. 

"Hmm... how many drinks are in it for me to get you cleared?" The bartender gave her a rather uncomplimentary "number" involving several nasty words. "Well, THAT was uncalled for. Don't worry about it, crab. I'll make sure the Feds let you go... IF I survive the fight with Mother Brain, that is." She smiled. "Now you've got an extra reason to hope I win!" 

"Hey, I knew what I was doing when I made this call. You'd just better win, Samus. You'd just better win... for all our sakes." There was a loud knocking noise, and one of the patrons yelled. 

"Hey, Horz! They're here! If ya want, we can delay them a few minutes more for ya to finish talking-" 

"No, it's okay." The Zebesian squared his shoulders. "We're just about done here anyways. I'll just go with 'em now. Let 'em in." He looked back at the screen. "Well, Samus, I gotta be going. Federation goon squad's gonna break my legs if I don't. You know the drill." Samus nodded again. 

"Yeah, I do. I should be going too... places to go, Pirates to kill!" She forced herself to sound cheerful as she said this. Horzat laughed and saluted. 

"That's my girl. Give 'em hell for me, kid!" He cut the connection just as the door to his bar opened and Commander Mark Todar entered, flanked by at least ten Federation toughs, each with a nasty-looking blaster. The Commander had a triumphant smirk on his face. 

"Well, Mr. Horzat. It seems you just don't know what's good for you, do you. You were warned what would happen if you sent any more messages to Zebes, and yet, you were in communications with that planet just a second ago. Not too bright, eh?" The bartender glared. 

"I got nothing to say to you blockheads on the subject. Let's go. I'll come to the lockup with you quietly, and I'll be outta there within a few days when Samus comes back and vindicates me." Todar gave him a wintry smile. 

"We shall see." Horzat stumped over through the crowd of patrons (all of whom were glaring at the Feds, down to the last lifeform) and was handcuffed by one of the thug squad. The Commander looked at the crowd. 

"All right, you can all push off now. This bar's going to be closed for quite a while, I'm-" 

"Screw that." Horzat growled suddenly. "Gelltor, Welhaam, Hrug, you're in charge. Make sure everybody has as much to drink as they want. And stay out of my cash register!" The last words were drowned in cheers from both the people in the bar and many more outside, who had gathered around to see the Feds and overheard. Commander Todar glared down at the Zebesian, his moment of triumph interrupted. 

"I suppose we do not have the authority to close this... very well. Come on, you. We're leaving." 

"Commander, I'm already gone." Horzat responded sarcastically, and he began to walk. 

*** 

Mother Brain was feeling pensive tonight. As she floated in her tank, the Pirate Queen's thoughts swam around, flitting from one subject to another like a Skultera fish. Aran would be coming soon; she knew that. Whether the bounty hunter had figured out that Mother Brain was back or not did not matter; she would know that Matrix was here in New Tourian, and that would be all the reason she needed to come here. And once she did, it would not be very long before she discovered the Pirate Queen's existence even if she didn't know already. Either way, Mother Brain would soon have trouble with a capital ARAN knocking at her door. And that simple fact alone was enough to worry the Pirate Queen, despite her recent success. 

"Samus Aran... the greatest warrior of the galaxy, child of the Chozo..." Mother Brain muttered to herself. The Chozo... the bird-people who had originally inhabited this planet called Zebes, and many others. They had been the ones who had raised Samus, had taught her everything she knew, and had given her that accursed Power Suit. And wherever Samus went, be it Zebes, Tallon IV or SR-388, the Chozo had left behind statues and artifacts to help her even more. It was if the mighty bird-people themselves were rising up out of the past to strike against the Pirates who had taken control over their planet. In a sudden burst of anger, Mother Brain unleashed a psionic wave of pure hatred towards the Chozo and anything of theirs in all directions. Briefly, she felt something stir, and the Pirate Queen immediately focused all of her attention on it, anger forgotten. It seemed to be a Torizo, like the ones who had attacked Aran. Mother Brain had to smile grimly at that memory; finally, the Chozo did something good. But this one that had just been awakened by her would simply attack anything it saw. Mother Brain watched it for a moment longer, then shrugged and turned away. 

"Hmph... stupid statue. Nothing to worry about... the Metroids will find it before too long." Thinking of that immediately shifted her thoughts to a different, much more pleasurable subject. The Metroids. There, at least, the Mother Brain's hard work and perseverance had finally paid off in success. New Tourian was finally complete, as it should be: Absolutely crawling with Metroids. There were twelve of them at last count, not counting Matrix. THAT one was special, even if he still refused to acknowledge Mother Brain. For his service, unwillingly given though it was, Mother Brain had allowed him the run of New Tourian like the other Metroids. He needed the open space and freedom to hunt on his own anyways, and besides, the Galdezium container wouldn't hold him anymore after the... treatment. Mother Brain proudly observed one of the Metroids devouring a Sidehopper for a moment before reluctantly forcing her thoughts back to current, more important matters. The door behind her opened. 

"Milady, it is me." Zeral bowed deeply. 

"Zeral, you shouldn't be here." Mother Brain chided him. "You know that New Tourian is full of unrestrained Metroids, and they would have no compunctions about feeding upon you. Even Matrix, Aran's little pet, has reverted to his instincts; I was able to fix that much of his mind." 

"Yes, I know, milady." Zeral nodded. "I simply came to inform you that the last of our... emergency preparations... have been completed on time, as ordered. If the worst comes to pass, we shall be ready." 

"All five ships are prepared to depart at a moment's notice?" The Pirate Queen inguired sharply. Zeral bowed. 

"Yes, milady." 

"I mean that quite literally, Zeral." She glared at him. "You will not have any time to spare at all, not even seconds. Do you understand?" He bowed again, understanding her high level of tension. 

"Yes, milady. We have tested response time, and the ships can all be in orbit and away from here in less than sixty seconds. We've triple-checked each and every one of them for errors already, and there were none." 

"Good, good." The Pirate Queen frowned. "And my four Pirate Lords? Kraid, Phantoon, Draygon and Ridley... you have acquired all of them?" 

"Every last one, milady." Zeral nodded. "Kraid and Phantoon were already secured when Aran battled Ridley, and some of his men brought that one-along with my two worthless sons-here as soon as Aran had left. Draygon gave us the most trouble; it seems his Evir have betrayed us, and they had their own plans for his body. But we managed to get him eventually, although we had to kill the ones guarding it. I hope you don't mind... they fought like madbeings. You know what Evir are like. There was truly no other way to get him." 

"That's quite all right, Zeral." Mother Brain told her aide forgivingly. "They had it coming anyways, for turning against us, and trying to keep us from reviving Draygon... probably so they would not have to serve us again. Fools." She laughed, long and cold without a trace of humor. "They shall pay even more when he has been revived... I'm sure Draygon will be very happy to put some of them onto his torture rack once we tell him what his clan was up to in his abscence. He never was very forgiving, and I doubt that will change much" Zeral laughed as well. 

"That should be fun to see. Anyways, they're all loaded up and ready. As for yourself, milady, the team of Zebesians is waiting in the escape hall. They're the best of our forces, and they've been specially trained for this purpose. Your... continual existence... shall not be an issue here." 

"Excellently done, my aide." Mother Brain praised him glowingly. "Let us both pray that such preparations are not neccessary, however." 

"Of course. After all, milady, you ARE the Pirate Queen, and you do have Project B. With luck, not even Samus Aran will be able to stand against that." Mother Brain closed her eyes, savoring the thought. 

"To finally destroy her, with my own hand... yes, that would be sweet indeed, loyal Zeral." The Zebesian nodded, looking nervous. 

"Yes, well... I should be going now, your majesty. As you said, with the Metroids around here, New Tourian is no longer safe for any save yourself." The Pirate Queen nodded in dismissal. 

"You may depart now, Zeral. Take personal command of the fifth ship and be prepared in case of the worst." He bowed as he backed away. 

"Yes, milady." Turning, Zeral exited the room, leaving Mother Brain to her own thoughts once again. 

*** 

"Here it is..." Samus sighed as she emerged into the damp room with the huge, golden statue. The jewel-eyed visages of Kraid, Phantoon, Draygon and Ridley looked back at her. Then, with a groan, the three emeralds that formed Kraid's eyes went dark and exploded, and the tiny bit of the fat Iz's life force that had been trapped in the statue and bonded it to him escaped upwards. The golden Kraid went grey and lifeless. A moment later, the single large Topaz of Phantoon's eye did the same. Draygon's sapphires and Ridley's rubies followed. As the Drakar's statue died, the whole thing rumbled and sunk into the ground, revealing a hole beneath it. Samus jumped down. In the water-filled pit, the statue laid on its side next to an elevator leading downward. 

"No question about where this goes." She muttered, checking her blaster. Confident that it still worked, she took the elevator down. The bounty hunter emerged in familiar-looking metallic surroundings, completely mechanical. A sign in front of her on the wall bore a message. WELCOME TO NEW TOURIAN. WARNING: METROIDS. Below the words was a picture of a Metroid. "Looks like I was right..." Samus groaned, jumping down the vertical shaft. Crossing a pit of lava, she walked down a hall... and was immediately attacked by a flying jellyfish-like beast with fangs instead of tentacles.A Metroid, hungry for her life force. Instinctively, she whipped her blaster up and fired, freezing it solid. Samus wiped her brow. That was the one weakness of Metroids; they hated ice. But that alone wasn't enough to kill them; already, this one was beginning to come around. Quickly, she emptied five Missiles into the beast, killing it. 

"No time to waste... there's bound to be more." The bounty hunter set off again, across a river of lava, freezing and fragging more Metroid as she went. When the path turned vertical, she followed it on down without question, going deeper into Tourian. As she walked through a door into another hall, the Metroid waiting on the other side lunged forward and grabbed her. With a gleeful squeal, it started draining her life. "Dammit!" Cursing, Samus went into Morph Ball mode and dropped Bombs. The explosions knocked the creature loose, and before it could reattach, she killed it. The bounty hunter paused a moment to catch her breath. Checking, she discovered that it had taken an entire Energy Tank. Muttering more curses under her breath, she walked on. Dropping down another vertical shaft, Samus blinked as her surroundings suddenly, completely changed. Now, the mechanical tunnels of Tourian were covered in a strange sand. Out of nowhere, a fully grown Sidehopper jumped her. 

"YOW!" Leaping away, Samus waited for it to jump again, then ran under and made for the door. On the other side, she breathed a sigh of relief; there wasn't much even she could do against those monsters once they reached maturity. Then she looked up, and sprang backwards with a yell. A Torizo was right in front of her, arms outstretched and beak open in a battle cry! It took her a moment to notice that the Torizo wasn't moving, and that it was a dull, dead tan. She recognized the work now. "Metroids... one of them got this guy..." She touched it, and the Torizo's remain immediately crumbled into sand... the same sand that filled this tunnel, Samus realized sickeningly. "To make the entire tunnel this deep... there must be tons of them, or else... or else they're hungrier than I remember..." With a growing ill feeling, Samus pressed on. She passed more Metroided creatures... Skree, Rippers, Geemers. Another Sidehopper jumped over, and Samus took a step back, but this one didn't go after her. It looked around nervously, as if it were scared of something, then took another hop... and then, like lightning, a HUMONGOUS Metroid blasted out of nowhere and latched onto it! Samus stumbled back and stared. 

"GEEZ... it's huge!" The Metroid must have been at least ten feet across. The Sidehopper was dust within seconds, and with a snarl, the monstrosity was upon Samus. Its fangs felt like harpoons as they pierced the Power Suit, and Samus choked as she felt her energy being drained. The creature held her down; she couldn't raise her blaster to fire any weapons, nor curl up into Morph Ball mode and lay bombs. She was helpless as her Energy Tanks were drained within seconds. Samus knew... this time, she had had it. She was dead. As she felt the last bits of energy flow into the abomination gleefully attached to her, she whispered her last words. 

"Matrix... I'm sorry... I failed you..." Suddenly, it stopped. The flow of energy stopped. Slowly, the Metroid's fangs retracted, and it floated up. Samus looked up at the giant Metroid, which was now floating around in slow circles. "You stopped... why...?" The Metroid was silent for a moment... and then it spoke. Not in the screech of hunger she was accustomed to... but in the hesitant chirp of a baby. It floated down, and for the first time, Samus saw the slight greenish tinge to its skin, that no other Metroid had... and she knew. "Matrix...?" She whispered. The last of the Metroids remained next to her as she laid a hand on its side. "Oh, Matrix... what has she done to you... my poor little Matrix..." Matrix remained motionless for a moment longer... and then, suddenly, it took off, running away, as if ashamed to have Samus see what it had become. Samus knew she was crying; she felt the tears running down her face. The reunion that she had waited so long for had finally occured, and it had been a terrible mockery of what she had hoped for, twisted by Mother Brain's evil like everything else. But she couldn't cry forever; after a few moments, she forced herself to go on, through her tears. 

"Where is she... _where's Mother Brain..._" Samus growled in rage as she blasted through a strange, webbing-like material that clogged the tunnel. A Missile Station and an Energy Station caught her eye, and she took a moment to recharge, then forged on. There were no more Metroids in the sandy area; apparently, not even they dared encroach upon Matrix's territory. And then, the only thing left in her way was the same eye-shaped security system that had guarded all the Pirate Lords. Three Missiles, and the door opened. Samus took a deep breath. 

"No turning back now... for better or for worse, it ends here and now." And she walked in. 

*** 

"_MOTHER BRAIN!!!_" Samus screamed in challenge. She recieved an answer almost immediately. 

"Mwa ha ha... I'm right here, little bounty hunter, over here..." It came from behind a security system every bit as complex as the one she had originally been protected by. The floor was flooded with a powerful acid, the only thing emerging from it multiple walls. Each wall was covered with Rinka guns that fired powerful disks of plasma, with Zebetites between them. Zebetites... pieces of the Mother Brain herself, seperated in order to serve as a living protection in the system. Samus was not deterred in the least; at this moment, nothing like that mattered. All that mattered was the destruction of the hated Pirate Queen. 

"I hope you're enjoying yourself, cowering behind all this hardware... because I promise you, these are your last moments alive." Snarling, Samus launched herself across the acid onto the tiny ledge sticking out from the first wall, and began unloading Missiles into the first Zebetite. Not Supers... those, she was saving for the Brain herself. Three Rinkas, one each above and below the Zebetite and one above the door she had entered, sprang to life and began emitting their deadly shots. 

"Well, look at you." Mother Brain observed mockingly. "Running on blind rage... pure anger. I can feel it... your hatred for me is like a sun to one with mental powers such as mine. But it's foolishness to think that that alone can garner you victory, Samus Aran. The first time you came up against my system, you won by a FLUKE, and we both know it. One more shot... just one more successful hit from one of my Rinkas, and you would have been the one who died there, not me. And you claim THAT sort of victory as a basis to think-AH!" She gasped as she felt the first Zebetite in the bounty hunter's path shrivel out of existence. 

"You know something?" Samus told her as she leaped through the hole left by the now-nonexistent Zebetite and immediately attacked the next barrier, this one with two smaller Zebetites. "At this moment, here and now, all of that... means absolutely jack shit as far as the two of us are concerned. You're not like Ridley... you're not like any of them, and neither am I. All that matters in a fight between us... is that fight itself. And in this fight, here and now... I WILL win, and I WILL kill you. So don't even try any mind games... they aren't going to work. Nothing you have is going to work against me. On this day, and in this spot... you die." 

"You're awfully worked up about something, aren't you?" Mother Brain frowned from her protective shell. She hadn't expected Aran to breach the first line that quickly. "I wonder what it could be... maybe it's about a fellow bounty hunter, a friend who was killed by one of my nasty little Pirate Lords?" Samus didn't respond, except to continue pumping Missiles into the Zebetites. "Or maybe it's about a traitorous friend, hauled away by the so-called 'good guys' for a crime he didn't commit?" This time, it got slightly more of a response; Samus gritted her teeth as she destroyed the second wall and advanced onto a small, metallic island in the sea of lava. But that still wasn't really hitting on it. Mother Brain decided to try her trump card. "Or maybe... maybe is it about a baby Metroid, all grown up, who wasn't what his mommy expected him to be?" That one hit home. Samus froze for a moment, head bent over, and the Rinkas scored several hits. When she raised her head, though, there was no sign of weakness in her eyes... only strength, and the fires of hatred. 

"Yes... that's it exactly. You screwed with Matrix... you RUINED his LIFE before it could even truly begin... and for that, I'm going to enjoy blowing you apart little by little." She attacked the third Zebetite. 

"Ruined his life?" Mother Brain protested. "Oh, come now... that's hardly fair, Samus Aran! Who are you to judge how he should live his life? Do you think you're truly his mother? HA! A foolish one like you, filled with notions of 'respect' and 'honor.' Pathetic! Ideals like that are what makes you weak, Samus Aran... and you should know that such ideals have no place within the mind of a Metroid!" 

"The mind of a Metroid..." Samus muttered, thinking on that even as she slowly broke down the third wall. "But he's not like other Metroids... he's different! He..." 

"He is NO DIFFERENT, FOOL!" The Pirate Queen shrieked. "He lives by the law of the Metroid! Devour, reproduce, survive! He was glad to accept the increased power I gave him... I made him STRONG, brought him out of that pathetic infant stage at incredible speeds, and gave him the strength to divide by Beta radiation, because it would create more Metroids! That's all he really cares about..." 

"No..." Samus shook her head as she assaulted the fourth Zebetite barrier, ignoring the Rinka shots that scored into her back. "No... you're WRONG!" 

"I'm RIGHT, bounty hunter, and in your heart, you know it!" Mother Brain cackled, tasting victory. Once she had crushed Samus Aran's spirit, her body would soon follow. "Even when he was among the Pirate Lords, Matrix never demonstrated the slightest bit of affection for them! He would not even permit any of them save Ridley to come near him!" Mother Brain carefully glossed over how the little Metroid had actually seemed to like the Drakar. A fluke, that was all. "Face it, Samus Aran... your affections are misplaced! He is just another Metroid, and he belongs with ME!" 

"No..." Samus realized the truth, even as she destroyed the Zebetites. "No... you ARE wrong. Matrix knew... he hated your Pirate Lords, and he hated you! The reason he liked Ridley... was because that Drakar was the only one of you who knew who 'pathetic things' like respect and honor WERE!" Jumping through the barrier, Samus finally found herself face-to-face with the Pirate Queen. Contained within a tank of unknown liquid, Mother Brain was, as her name suggested, mostly cerebral matter, with spiked protruding here and there. Below the massive brain was a single eye above a fang-filled mouth. She was hooked up to the mechanical system surrounding her all over, both above and below. And the only thing protecting her from Samus Aran's wrath was a tank comprised of many layers of Galdezium. Samus smiled without any trace of humor, and charged a Power Bomb with the Ice Beam, creating a spinning shield of frost energy that protected her from the Rinkas, then switched to Supers. Mother Brain tried to draw back at what she saw. 

"You... no, you can't have gotten through that fast, with this little damage! My defense systems were even more impenetrable than the last time... this is impossible!" 

"Not really." Samus explained as she began her attack upon the Pirate Queen herself. "Perhaps you could say that my Chozo Power Suit is stronger than before... that I have greater armor, more energy tanks, and better weaponry than I did the last time we fought." The smile disappeared, even as the tank cracked. "Or maybe my will is just stronger." The tank smashed, and Mother Brain was laid bare. She screamed as Super Missiles smashed into her unprotected flesh... but that wasn't all Samus had. Taking a Power Bomb in her hand, she charged the Plasma Beam into it, and released a huge explosion of fiery energy. With one final screech, the Pirate Queen was blown backward out of the tank, wiring ripped out. Samus walked forward into the room behind the system. It was completely bare of all thing, a dead-end empty chamber. Mother Brain was lying on the floor, completely defenseless, slowly dying without her system to sustain her. Samus readied her blaster. 

"Any last words?" 

"Samus Aran..." Mother Brain hissed. It was too late by the time Samus saw the thick metal coil connecting itself to her. With a noise halfway between a scream and a laugh, Mother Brain rose, attached to a horrendous robotic battle body! "I'M NOT THE ONE WHO NEEDS TO THINK ABOUT HER LAST WORDS!!!" Samus stumbled back, stunned. The new Mother Brain was a massive, humanoid mechanical creature. The true body of the Pirate Queen was attached to the battle body by a metal coil that served as a prehensile neck. 

"I should have known you would have something like this planned..." Samus snarled, recovering from her shock. "You just don't know when to die... you never did, and that hasn't changed." 

"That's a laugh, coming from you!" Mother Brain snarled back. "You've been a pestilence upon us ever since we acquired the Metroids, and no matter what we did, you kept going, ruining our plans, like a damned cockroach! If it weren't for you, we would be the absolute rulers of this galaxy by now!" 

"Well, isn't that a shame." The bounty hunter smirked. "I've got news for you, Brain. No matter how many times you come back, I'm still going to be here. Your Space Pirates are the ones who are a scourge... you're a scourge to the entire galaxy. And I'm the cure." 

"Brave words, Aran!" Mother Brain backed up and glared downward. "Let's see if you can back them up!" Her eye flashed, and a laser shot out of it, striking Samus square in the chest and knocking her back onto her rear end. Undaunted, the bounty hunter leaped back up and responded in kind with Supers... doing no damage. 

"What the-?" 

"Idiot!" Mother Brain cackled. "This marvelous battle body is immune to any of your pathetic attacks!" She fired another laser. 

"Oh, is that so..." Samus grunted as it hit her in the arm, and leaped up. "Well, it may be... BUT YOU'RE NOT!" Mother Brain screamed as the bounty hunter hit her in the head, the true body, with her Super Missiles. Furious, the Pirate Queen responded by throwing a bomb from her hand onto the ground. When Samus landed, it exploded, covering the floor-and her-with fire for a brief-but painful-moment. Samus gritted her teeth as the flames washed over her, and fired more Supers. Mother Brain responded with another eye-laser that knocked the bounty hunter out of the air, right into another bomb. Still, Samus returned to the air and continued firing Supers. Hissing, Mother Brain opened her mouth and emitted a concentrated blast of sound that ripped through Samus, and sent her spinning to the ground, where she laid, unmoving. 

"What did I tell you?" Mother Brain shrieked exultantly. "I told you that you could not win, Samus Aran! Now, die-huh?" She blinked as Samus pushed herself back to her feet and returned to the attack. 

"Nice try... but it'll take more than that to beat me!" Samus yelled, accompanying her voice with continual Supers. "Haven't you learned ANYTHING since the last time, Brain? I can not, WILL not be stopped, by you or by any Pirate, ever! I will just keep coming, destroying all of you whenever you dare to rear your ugly heads and threaten this galaxy!" Mother Brain stared at her for a second, then threw her head back in laughter. 

"You think this is it? That you surviving that attack ONCE means victory for you? Fool, this battle is not even CLOSE to being over!" The Pirate Queen brought her head back down to spit another sonic burst. This time, Samus took it in stride, not even flinching as it took her in the face, and she kept firing Supers at the brain of the beast. Mother Brain let out a small grunt of surprise and backed off a bit. 

"Fine, then. It seems I'll have to call in more of my new battle body's abilities to squash you, my pestersome little insect... so, shall we see how you cope when I push this body up to 75% power?" 

"Oooh, scary." Samus told her sarcastically. "Let me guess, up until now, you've only been fighting me with 50% of your full capabilities. Yawn. So, what? Now do your attacks pack more kick?" 

"Oh, yes..." Mother Brain raised her hands towards the bounty hunter, palms outward. "But I also can now use enough energy for THIS little trick!" Suddenly, a blistering stream of fire exploded out from the Pirate Queen's right hand, straight into Samus. Completely unprepared for this new attack, she was struck full in the chest, and collapsed on the floor, smoking. Mother Brain laughed, feeling sure that victory was now hers. 

"Got you that time, bounty hunter!" She snickered. However, it died off into a groan of disbelief as Samus once again rose, using her hands to push herself back up, and resumed attacking. "Why won't you just DIE?" 

"For somebody who's all brain, you sure are a slow learner..." Samus growled. "Now hear this, Brain... I will NEVER die, I will NEVER stop coming for you and all your Pirate ilk! If it is my destiny to forever oppose you... than so be it! I will NEVER stop, do you hear me? NEVER!" 

"Never is a long time, Samus Aran..." The Pirate Queen hissed in rage. "But you shold not be concerned with such lengths of time... for if we are speaking of nevers, than you will NEVER defeat ME again!" Swatting away a Super Missile, she unleashed another stream of fire. This time, though, Samus dodged it, Space Jumping over the blast to fire more Supers. 

"Funny... I seem to be doing a good job of it so far." Actually frothing at the mouth now, Mother Brain stretched her arms heavenward. 

"Very well then... I will squish you like the roach you are, once and for all! FULL POWER!" Putting her arms back down, she grinned evilly at Samus, ignoring the Supers that slammed into her head. "You have done well, little bounty hunter... but not even YOU can survive THIS attack!" The Pirate Queen closed her eye, storing up power, even as she was hit again and again... and then, with a flash of movement, the eye was open again, pouring forth a horrendous beam of energy that blazed over Samus like a high-powered spray of water, blasting over, through and around her. The pain filled every fiber of her being; it encompassed all that she knew. Dimly, Samus heard herself screaming in agony as it burned through her... chuckling, Mother Brain watched the pathetic heap of human contained within the Chozo Power Suit fall to the floor. She had finally done it... she had finally killed that stupid, foolish, never-dying little bounty-"No..." 

"No..." Samus whispered to herself, unconsciously echoing her greatest enemy's words. "No... I will not give up... I WILL NOT DIE HERE..." Ignoring the pain that shot through every inch of her body, running on sheer willpower alone, she struggled to rise to her feet. A noise came to her ears; clapping. Heavy, metal hands clapping. 

"I must applaud you, bounty hunter..." Mother Brain smiled. "I have never met a lifeform before with as much inner strength as you. I suppose I should have known about how much of that you had by how long you've survived to pester us... but I don't think you quite comprehend the situation here!" She stopped clapping, bent over, and dealt Samus a vicious backhand that sent the bounty hunter screaming into a wall. "You wretch! You are like an insect to me now... both in body and in spirit! I could crush you underfoot just like that." She snapped her fingers, and chuckled. "No... knowing you, you might find some way to survive that... I think I'll feel much safer if I know that you are completely obliterated! Goodbye, Samus Aran!" Laughing, she closed her eye, charging up the death beam that had brought Samus to the brink of death. Groaning, the bounty hunter tried to rise to her feet, to find some way of dodging, of fighting back, even though she knew in her heart that she would not survive the next attack... and then, salvation arrived, in the form of a massive, slightly-green tinged Metroid. 

"SKREEE!" With a cry of rage, Matrix swooped down through the hole Mother Brain had originally made crashing into the room. The last of the Metroids surveyed the situation in an instant, and with another scream, attached himself to the Mother Brain, plunging his fangs deep into the Pirate Queen's grey matter and extracting a dreadful toll of life force. 

"What-NO! Matrix, what are you doing... I... you... c...a...n...'t..." Mother Brain's voice died down to a dessicated croak as her great new Battle Body turned a dead, drained tan color and stiffened into a statuelike pose. Satisfied with his vengeance, Matrix unhooked his fangs with a chirp and flew over to Samus. 

"Matrix.... what are you... AH!" Samus felt a sting as the Metroid's fangs entered her arms... and then, for some reason, somehow... she felt the life returning to her. She was being revived... healed from the Mother Brain's deadly assault. Matrix chirruped in his familiar call upon seeing the effect. She blinked. "But... how?" 

_"Well, upon study, we found that if used properly, a Metroid may transfer life force TO a person instead!"_ The voice of Dr. Olvarey from Space Station Ceres rang through her mind, and Samus slowly smiled. 

"He was right... you CAN do good things for other people... Matrix..." Suddenly, there was a scream of rage, and Matrix flinched as something hit him. "Matrix? What's wrong?!" 

"You DARE to betray me, you little jellyfish?!" Mother Brain's voice screeched. Samus gasped; the Pirate Queen hadn't been killed by Matrix's assault, and by the sounds and feeling of Matrix, she was unloading everything she had on the last of the Metroids. Matrix, however, refused to fight back; he stayed where he was, leaving himself open in order to finish healing Samus. 

"Matrix, no!" Samus urged her protector. "I'm healed enough! I can handle this! You can leave! Run!" But the Metroid didn't respond; he stayed where he was, taking hit after hit. Finally, the last of Samus' Energy Tanks was filled, and the infant Metroid rose. Samus looked up, and with horror, saw the dreadful toll the Mother Brain had taken on him. Matrix's skin was punctured in hundreds of places, leaking transparent goo, and his fangs were cracked and broken. Squealing weakly, he rose into the air. 

"Trying to run away?" Mother Brain screamed. "You can't get away from me! You and your 'mother' will both die here!" The last statement seemed to have an effect on Matrix. He suddenly stopped, and turned to face Mother Brain with a defiant scream. 

"NO! MATRIX, DON'T!" Samus screamed. "GET AWAY! RUN! GET OUT OF-" 

"_SKREEEEEEE!_" With one last scream, the last of the Metroids flew towards the Mother Brain in one final, desperate assault. Right into the superpowerful beam weapon. For Samus Aran, it seemed as if time was standing still for that moment. She saw as the beam pierced Matrix straight through, burning through his nuclei. She saw him slowly float to the ground next to her. She saw him turn to her, looking upon her with his last view. And although it was impossible, although she knew Metroids did not have vocal chords capable of intelligent speech... in her mind, Samus heard one word. 

"_Mommy..._" And then, with one last chirp, Matrix, the last of the Metroid species, died. His last battlecry as he streaked towards the Mother Brain, knowing that he was already dying but ready to give it all to protect his mother, would stay with Samus Aran for as long as she lived. 

"Well, that's one taken care of..." Mother Brain growled, closing her eye. "Now, for his mother-Huh?" She opened her eye, but no death beam came out. "Damn it... not enough energy left to... to... to..." Samus Aran... looked up. And the look on her face... was unlike anything Mother Brain had ever seen before. 

"_YOU."_ Samus uttered a single word as she rose, pointing at Mother Brain like some executioner from the medieval times. "_YOU."_ Her eyes held no trace of reason, of scorn, of contempt, of willpower, of any emotion Mother Brain had come to associate with the bounty hunter. Only sorrow... and hatred. One for the the last of the Metroid race, whom she had thought to be her enemies... and one for the one who WAS her enemy, who had just killed Matrix in front of her eyes. Deep within the confines of the Chozo Power Suit, the two emotions mixed, combining with the energy that Matrix had given his life to transfer to her, and exploded forth in a rush that filled every bit of her being, and of the Power Suit that was bonded to her, both physically and mentally... and something awakened. Samus felt the power rushing through her, as her suit was covered in prismatic light, starting from her heart and expanding outward over her entire body, culminating at the blaster over her right arm. Mother Brain saw this as well... and she was scared. 

"What... what is this...." 

"Your death." Samus spoke two words, and then she was silent, and let her blaster speak for her. The weapon on her arm unleashed not Super Missiles, not Power Bomb Combos, but something far greater... a rapid-fire storm of pure energy that ripped into the hated Pirate Queen like a storm of acid rain. The Metroid Beam. Screaming, Mother Brain tried to return fire, but all of her attacks were consumed in the wave of destructive force coming from the bounty hunter before her and continued on to break through her vaunted battle body. Eye lasers... flaming bombs... sonic bursts... bursts of fire... all of it was melted away under the blistering waves of energy. The beams kept on coming, ripping apart Mother Brain piece by piece, leaving her looking like swiss cheese. And Mother Brain was afraid. Afraid of the unquenching storm of the Metroid Beam... and afraid of the cold-eyed, prismatic bounty hunter who was bursting forth with all the power of a star. Desperate now, Mother Brain tried to escape, but the only way out behind her was too small to fit through with the battle body. 

"You're not getting away..." Samus whispered at first, and then the whisper grew into a scream, as her left arm began emitting the Metroid Beam as well, doubling the destruction being inflicted upon the Mother Brain's already broken body. "Not now... NOT EVER AGAIN!" Mother Brain... could only scream. She screamed as her battle body broke down, losing first its arms, then its legs, and finally the rest of it. She screamed as her only real body, the brain, fell to the groun with a sickening splat. And she screamed one last time as she looked upon the cold-hearted, avenging bounty hunter before her... and saw death himself standing beside her. 

"Samus Aran..." The beaten and broken Pirate Queen hissed with her last breath. "You cannot... stop us... we will be back... the Space Pirates shall return..." Samus looked down at her, silent, before she spoke. 

"Go to hell, bitch." And then, for Mother Brain... everything was a blistering white, before it all went dark. 

*** 

"..." Samus silently walked over to the still body of Matrix. Without a word, she picked him up and lifted him onto her back. "Matrix... I couldn't save you after all... I'm so sorry..." Suddenly, red lights flashed, and alarms blared. Samus groaned. "Aw, hell... not this again... lemme guess. New Tourian has been set to blow..." 

"EMERGENCY." A computerized voice announced. "BOMB AT PLANET'S CORE HAS BEEN ACTIVATED. PLANET ZEBES WILL SELF-DESTRUCT IN THREE MINUTES. THE HUNTER IS TO BE ELIMINATED AT ALL COSTS." 

"Exactly." Samus nodded, then did a double-take. "_WHAT?_" Cursing like a Iz trucker, she bolted for a small door behind Mother Brain, which she hoped would be the same as last time, and lead to the surface. She was immediately confronted by a cluster of Zebesians. 

"She has killed the Mother Brain! MOVE, MOVE, MOVE!" They rushed past her, completely ignoring her. Samus frowned and half-turned to follow, then with another curse, ran ahead. Climbing through a maze of pipes and dodging more Zebesians, she soon emerged into Crateria's caverns. Her suit's internal chronometer told her she had a minute and a half left. Climbing up, she was about to escape into the outside when she heard a familiar squawk. 

"_Rsyq, Rsyq, RSYQ!_" It was an Etecoon, and the voice was coming from a low tunnel. Samus crawled in and found herself confronted by Sa, Ji, Ni and Falar. They were standing in front of a dead-end; it looked as if the tunnel had collapsed recently. A sign on the wall read "Docking Bay 5." 

"You guys need to get out of here!" Samus used the Metroid Beam to wipe out the blocking rubble. Ji, Ni and Falar ran ahead, towards a waiting ship, but Sa stayed and looked at her. 

"Samus..." 

"I'll be fine! I've got my own ship!" She urged him. "Now, GO!" Reluctantly, Sa went after the others, towards a Drakar vessel. Samus ran back out and climbed up to the entrance of the cavern. Blasting out onto the plains, she scrambled into her ship with only seconds left. "Computer! Take off! NOW!" 

"Acknowledged." As she strapped herself into the pilot's seat, the ship rose into the atmosphere, turned towards the sky, and rocketed off. As it sped away, Samus looked behind her, through a rear mirror. The last second clicked, and Planet Zebes was surrounded by a purple energy locus. As she watched, it cracked, splintered, and then, with a horrendous noise, the entire planet detonated, creating a blast of light that covered the entire starscape for a moment, dying down into a briefly shining star of swirling purple energy that was all that remained of Planet Zebes. 


	9. Epilogue & Author's Note

**__**

Epilogue 

"YOU DIDN'T RECOVER THE METROID?!!!" Commander Mark Todar of the Galactic Federation was completely livid. He stared at the bounty hunter standing in front of his desk, skin chalk white as his hands clenched and unclenched spasmodically. Samus Aran watched this for a few moments before she spoke again in the tones of somebody who really didn't care about what she was saying. 

"You heard me correctly the first time, Commander. The last of the Metroids gave his life in the process of the mission. He sacrificed himself to destroy the Mother Brain once again." 

"So you failed." Todar began to recover from his shock. "The mighty Samus Aran failed her mission. The Metroid is dead, miss Aran. Despite the circumstances, it is still dead, and it is your fault and your failure. A blemish on the perfect record." 

"My record stays the way it is, Commander." Samus smiled coldly. "As you made so very clear to me right before I left for Zebes, the Federation was NOT sending me on that mission. Thus, there was no FEDERATION mission failure or success, and thus, no change to my record needs to be made. As far as I'm concerned, the mission was completed successfully. I believe that it all that needs to be said." She started to turn away. 

"I won't forget this, Aran." Todar growled threateningly. Samus stopped, was still for a moment, then looked back at him. When she did, the look on her face would have sent an entire army running for its lives. 

"You are damn right that you won't forget it, Todar." She spoke slowly and deliberately. "I will make sure that you don't. You and the rest of the Federation will never forget this... that the entire galaxy was saved by one who it once thought was an enemy. The last surviving Metroid saved us all, Todar... Matrix saved us all. You might want to think about that for a bit." She turned away again. "Oh, one more thing. Horzat didn't do anything wrong. Those communications were with me. I want him out of the slammer and back in his bar within twenty-four hours." 

"Now, see here!" Commander Todar blustered. "Even if he wasn't going back to the Pirates, that Zebesian still violated a direct Federation order! You can't just-" He fell silent as Samus turned to him again. She didn't say anything. She just looked at him. There were very few people in the galaxy who could glare down Commander Mark Todar of the Galactic Federation. Samus Aran was one of them. "All right... all right." He mumbled, shrinking back in his chair. "He'll be taken care of." Samus grunted. 

"He's better. And remember, I expect each and every one of the bounties I turned in to be paid in full." As soon as she was gone, Commander Todar breathed a sigh of relief, which changed to a groan of dismay when a communication opened, showing a frowning General Razeel of the Egenoid Star Marines. Todar forced a smile to his face and saluted. The other man did not smile back. 

"Commander. Am I to believe the rumors I hear that planet Zebes was destroyed by Samus Aran?" 

"Well... yes." Todar admitted. Razeel's scowl deepened. 

"And did you not hire us in order to deal with the same Zebes situation?" Todar reluctantly nodded. 

"Yes, General. Your services are no longer requir-" 

"Commander Todar, we do no appreciate being told to prepare to march and then discovering there is no place to march to." Razeel interrupted him. "If you will examine our contract, you will discover that you agreed to pay us regardless of mission success. We expect to still recieve that payment." Todar went white again. 

"But-but you didn't even do any fighting!" 

"It is not an issue of fighting. It is an issue of time. And you, Commander Todar, have just wasted a great deal of ours. We expect the payment, or things will turn very nasty for you. Good day, Commander." Razeel killed the connection, and Todar buried his face in his hands. He didn't look up as his computer beeped, signalling that another message was incoming. 

"This had better be good... who is it?" 

"Sir, it is Commander Kojin, head of the SCI division." Todar sighed and patched him through. 

"Mark... we've done it!" The lean, black-bearded man said excitedly. "That Metroid-" 

"Forget it." Todar broke the news to him. "You can just scrap all our Metroid-related experiments. Matrix is dead. The Metroid species is extinct." 

"No, no." Kojin grinned darkly. "You're wrong Mark. Remember how about a month ago, one of our spies was able to discover Kraid's cloning process?" Todar cudgeled his memory. 

"Well... yes. But wasn't it imperfect, causing severe deterioration both physically and mentally?" 

"Yes, it was. WAS. Past tense." Kojin clarified. "We've been improving the process ever since, and just now, we created a clone with no defects whatsoever. It's perfected, Mark. We've completely unravelled the secrets of cloning." Commander Todar smiled, more to keep his colleague happy than out of any real personal joy. 

"That's great, Carl. But I don't see how this has to do with... the... Metroids..." Slowly, the smile grew, this time from the heart. "You don't." 

"We do." Kojin's grin became positively vicious. "Olvarey on Ceres sent us a sample of Matrix's DNA less than a day before the incident." 

"You devious sonofabitch..." Todar fell back in his chair and laughed uproariously. "YES! We're still alive! We aren't dead in the water after all... just set back." He looked at Kojin again. "You realize, of course, that it is especially imperative that-" 

"That Aran remain unaware of this. I know." Kojin nodded. "I've already been in touch with Samir in NOC division, and his boys are working triple-time to keep her in the dark. He claims she still doesn't even know that the Pirates originally got the Metroids from on of our ships." 

"Very good. But don't let your guard down." Todar's face turned grim. "One thing I've learned about dealing with miss Aran... never, NEVER underestimate that lady. Don't let up on her, and prepare to get those things cloned ASAP." 

"Once again, already working on it." Kojin smiled. "We've bought up a minor independent science corporation... name's Biologic Space Laboratories. We'll pick one of their outlying satellites and start cloning the buggers there." Todar nodded. 

"Keep me posted. Todar out." Killing the connection, Commander Mark Todar of the Galactic Federation leaned back in his chair. It looked like things were making a sharp u-turn towards the right direction. Paying Aran's bounties and the Egenoid Star Marines would hurt, yes. But all that paled compared to the magnitude of the gain they stood to make. Once they had an army of Metroids, no force in the galaxy, whether it be the Pirates, the damned Far Siders who refused to join the Federation, or even Aran herself would be able to stand against the might of the Galactic Federation... eventually to become the Galactic Empire. Once they had their army of Metroids... 

Everything would be different. 

*** 

"This is the battlecruiser _Tourian III_. Report." Zeral, personal assistant to the Mother Brain and acting Supreme Commander of the Space Pirates, ordered. There was the hiss of static for a moment, and then, simultaneously, there were four responses. 

"This is the _Brinstar's Soul._ We're ready for further instructions." 

"_Ethereal Crateria_ here. Also waiting for further instructions." 

"_Wave of Maridia_ calling in. Ditto the previous two." 

"_Heart of Norfair_, also waiting. No problems." 

"Good, all of you." Zeral told the other four captains. "Now, here's the deal. Each of us will go to a seperate planet and begin rebuilding. _Maridia_, head to Planet Galron. Our forces are strongest there now. _Crateria_, take Planet Shefjax 39. Nobody'll ever look there. _Brinstar _and _Norfair_, you both go to the Far Side, out of the Federation's reach. Border crossing will be tricky, but I have the utmost faith in you. Once you're across, I leave it to your own judgement where to set up shop." 

"And you, sir?" The captain of the _Brinstar_ inquired. Zeral frowned for a moment at the KiHunter accent, but shrugged it off. Officers couldn't all be Zebesians anymore. 

"I'd better keep that to myself in case the Federation somehow manages to crack our code. Rest assured, gentlemen, we will recover from this, stronger than ever before. We just need time, and that's what we're going for here. Once you touch down, establish a base and call in our free-rangers to build up your army. Once you feel secure, begin reviving your Lord, and put him in charge once he's back. As for me... you'll all know when the Queen returns, trust me. Are there any questions?" There were none. "Good. You all have your orders. Carry them out. I'll be in touch. Captain Zeral out." Killing the connection, Zeral turned to look out the front window of his command chamber, claws clasped behind his back. An underling approached nervously. 

"Captain, we're ready to launch. All systems are go, and the Mother Brain is completely secured." Zeral nodded in approval without turning. 

"Good job, soldier. Computer, turn on the PA system. Attention, all crew. This is Captain Zeral. We will be departing exactly one hour after the last of the other four battlecruisers." Long enough to avoid any suspicious eyes that would be drawn by the warp signatures of four battlecruisers all leaving around the same time, but before the Federation's search team would get here and discover them, Zeral thought grimly. "You have the who and when. The where... that is not important. As for the what and why... we will be establishing a new base, rebuilding our forces, and reviving the Mother Brain." He stopped as a cheering noise filled the ship. "We are injured. We are hit hard. We are down. But we are NOT out! The Space Pirates can rise again!" More cheering. "Until launchtime, you have permission to do whatever you wish, as long as you are ready when the time comes. Remember, efficiency is a neccessity, now moreso than ever before. If we want to come back more powerful than ever before and rule this galaxy, we will need 100% from each and every one of you. Don't let us down. Computer, turn off PA system." 

"Sir?" The Pirate standing behind Zeral asked nervously. "Sir, did that okay to relax include me as well?" 

"Yes. You may take your leave now." The underling nodded and departed. Zeral stood there, looking out the window, and watching four huge hulks of metal. The other four Battlecruisers. One by one, they lit up their jets and departed, blasting off at light-speed to their destinations. Zeral smiled, recalling when he and Mother Brain had originally decided upon this course of action, dividing their forces. Although it wasn't visible from the outside, each of those four battlecruisers carried a precious cargo. Named after the five sectors of the now-destroyed Zebes, they served not only as transportation for the forces, but as a symbol of progress, of continuance even in these trying times. Aboard each was a crew of a hundred Pirates, one Captain chosen from the highest ranks under the Pirate Lords, and one very precious piece of cargo. Aboard the _Brinstar_, in cryo-storage, was the corpse of a fat, bald Iz, killed by massive internal injuries. On the _Crateria_ was an Elocto's lifeless body, drained of its soul by hostile Koben spirits. Deep in the hold of the _Maridia_ lay the remains of a fried Evir. Sleeping within the _Norfair_ was the still form of a warrior Drakar, slain in combat for the third time by the same human female. Also in cryo-storage on that fourth ship were two Zebesians that had once been clad in shining metallic armor, but Zeral barely considered those ones worthy of his thought for their failure. The important ones... were the four Pirate Lords. Kraid, Phantoon, Draygon and Ridley. And each of those four ships also had the technology invented by Kraid that could revive the dead. Even if one of the ships was captured by the Federation or some other enemy and prevented from its goal, the other three would remain. Dividing their forces ensured at least partial success. It was a foolproof plan, designed by the greatest intellect in the galaxy... the Queen herself. Even after defeat and death, Mother Brain was still the unquestionable master of all the Space Pirates. And speaking of which... as for Zeral's own battlecruiser, the _Tourian III_... this one held the most precious cargo of all, a cargo that had nearly killed them all in its retrieval at the last second, even as Zebes was counting down to its destruction. The Pirate Queen herself. Mother Brain. Zeral watched the last speck of light in the _Norfair_'s warp trail, and smiled, recalling his own words. 

"We may be down... but we are not out. The Space Pirates can rise again..." He shook his head. "No... the Space Pirates WILL rise again!" Pumping his claw into the air, the aged Zebesian laughed, long and hard and cold. He laughed until the hour had passed, and the _Tourian III_ had blasted away, leaving the space sector that had once held a planet called Zebes behind. 

*** 

To an outsider arriving on Planet Magani for the first time, the way the planet looked right now might seem... well... insane. The entire globe was covered in noise, chaos and flashing lights. Alcohol was distributed freely, along with other less-legal materials in some quarters, and the people were, to a number, raucous. In other words... Magani was entirely in party mode. The center of the party was a bar named "Horzat's." And in that bar, one bounty hunter was telling her story. 

"So then, I figured hell, I've got nothing to lose." Samus was telling the crowd. "So I just jumped towards his face. It worked; that startled him so much that he couldn't help dropping his jaw, and I shot my last two Supers right down his throat. Shredded his guts beyond what he could take. He just died right there, and that was it for Kraid!" The crowd exploded in applause. Behind the counter, Horzat gave her a rare smile, looking none the worse for wear after his stay in jail. 

"Well, that sounded painful. Which is good, of course. By the way, I owe you big time for that picture." 

"No prob!" Samus grinned. "I'm gonna enjoy seeing it too! When's it gonna get here, anyways?" 

"Right now." A human male from the doorway announced. He was holding a carefully wrapped square package. Laying it on the counter, he carefully unwrapped it, revealing a large, blown-up picture of Kraid, post-death. The Iz's mouth hung open, spilling blood onto the floor. It was framed in solid gold, with his name written under the picture in silver. Horzat grinned even wider. 

"Thanks, Murray! This'll look perfect over the mantle! I'll hang it up once this party's died down." 

"You're gonna be waiting a long time for that, my friend." Murray looked around. "From the looks of it, the party's just getting started. And I've been so caught up getting this done, I haven't gotten to party yet. If you'll excuse me..." He left through the door, screaming something about canned cheese which was gladly echoed by the populace outside. Samus raised an eyebrow as a hovertruck covered in neon pink spraypaint blasted past, filled with howling Evir. 

"Isn't this going a bit overboard?" 

"You kidding me, Aran?" One of the partygoers asked her. "This is the biggest success in a hundred years! You whupped those Pirates GOOD this time! Even the Magistrate's getting in on it!" 

"Face it, Samus." Horzat thumped her over the shoulder. "You done good. Real good. And the people are happy. Give 'em a chance to celebrate." His voice dropped to a whisper. "Besides... if our suspicions are correct, there's not going to be much to celebrate in the near future. Let 'em have tonight." Samus nodded. 

"All right, you got a point. Well, come on then, people!" Standing up on her barstool, she yelled out into the crowd, both in Horzat's and outside. "We gonna do this party thing right, or what? I wanna hear music, and I wanna see egging parties directed towards Federation HQ! What are we waiting for, huh?!" 

"YEAH!" The crowd exploded in applause, easily becoming twice as raucous as before, and the movement spread outward from the bar like a ripple in a pond. Through the now-increased hubbub, four figures had no trouble slipping into the bar. A Drakar, an Iz, an Elocto, and an Evir. Samus and Horzat saw them, and quietly nodded towards a back room. The Iz signalled another one of his species, who began passing out fireworks, increasing the turmoil even more. Nobody noticed the four of them, plus Samus and Horzat, slipping through that back door and into a small, hidden room, where they all sat around a table. 

"You sure this room's secure?" Samus asked the bartender. Horzat nodded."Yeah... trust me, Samus. When I do something, I do it right. This room is completely walled, ceilinged and floored with cork. It muffles all sounds. No windows, no nothing. And Welhaam can detect anything otherworldly, if somebody wanted to go to all that trouble." 

"Good." Samus turned to the four newcomers. "All right, people. How'd it all go?" 

"Small-time criminal quarter's all behind you, Samus." Gelltor the Drakar pickpocket reported. "We've always been against the Federation, and when they heard about what you've been finding out... it was easy. The others were able to figure out pretty easily that if the Feds continued on their current line, it's make things a lot nastier for us. You can count on my fellows." 

"Same thing with my people." Welhaam the Elocto hacker agreed. "Even some of the hardcore crackers might be willing to help. Right now, I'd say the Federation computers are being infiltrated by the best of the best to confirm our suspicions, and once that's done, word'll spread like wildfire. You can pretty much count the less-than-legal internet geniuses with us already." Horzat nodded. 

"Good, good. What about you two?" 

"Well, things are proceeding a bit slower here." Hrug the Iz trucker said. "But hey, don't get too worried. It's just the way we work; word takes time to spread on the deep-space truck routes. The guys I've managed to get through to so far seem like they're behind us." He grinned. "Think of us like a tank... we move slow, but once we hit, it's a hard one. Give me a month, and I'll be able to stop all supply runs to the Feds in less than a day. That'll hurt 'em. Bad." 

"As for me..." Firkgon, the Evir clan-chief, thought for a moment. "Well, the King was interested, to say the least. We're a pretty suspicious species by nature, and we REALLY don't like treachery of any kind. Hopefully, he'll be ready to make personal contact with you before long; he does like your reputation as a warrior, and how you took out Dray. I'd say chances are good... you may even be able to get our entire planet behind you if you're lucky." 

"Excellent, all of you." Samus smiled. "With all this, we may just stand a chance against the Federation. Horzat, how do things look on your front?" 

"Well, as you know, my brother's a Grand Derhoth in the Grondheim Monks." Horzat explained. "He was not happy upon hearing that the Federation might be igniting interstellar war again. The Monks can't fight for us, but they do have a lot of influence in religious circles all over the galaxy. Who knows? It ain't exactly likely, but maybe we could even get the Feds excommunicated. Wouldn't that be something." 

"Oh, yes." Samus nodded. "Now, for my part. As I've told you all, I made contact with a Dachura and three Etecoons on the Far Side. Well, I've got a job lined up with some company called Biologic Space Laboratories over there. I figure while I'm working, I can resume contact with those four while BSL ain't looking and get them to alert the rest of the Far Side. If we've got all of them alerted, things will go very different if the Feds try anything. I'll see if I can set up a hideout over there for us to run to if we're all declared outlaws or something... the Feds have done worse things." 

"Sounds like a plan." Gelltor agreed. "So until the Feds make their actions open, we continue working behind the scenes and building up our possible resistance, if it comes down to that?" 

"You've got it." Samus nodded. "Until then." The six of them clasped hands (or claws, or tentacles) over the table, then turned and slipped back out into the crowd. One of the bums turned to Samus. 

"Hey, Aran! Just in time! Look at the vidscreen!" Doing so, Samus saw the local news. 

"This is a special announcement by the Magani government..." The announcer reported. "Recently, the Space Pirates were once again defeated. This appears to be the worst hit they have ever taken; all four Pirate Lords, plus Mother Brain herself, are reported dead. This crippling defeat may prove to be the end of them, and their threat to us all. To everybody watching, I ask that you give thanks to Samus Aran, who is responsible for all of this!" The bar, and the streets outside, were drowned in a raucous cheer. It died, however, as the newsman bowed his head and continued. "The government now requests a planetwide moment of silence for one who sacrificed himself to save us all... Matrix, the last of the Metroids, gave his life in order to destroy the Mother Brain." As requested, everybody fell silent, and heads were bowed. "Thank you... thank you all. Now... let's party!" 

"Hold on, hold on." Horzat yelled before the party could resume. "Before we get started on THAT again... I got a song request from everybody." He tapped a few keys on his computer, and all the vidscreens were filled with lyrics. "It's an old Earth song... 'Only The Good Die Young.' I think it's appropriate. Ah one, ah two..." The piano man struck up the ancient melody, and the patrons all waited before singing. Nobody noticed as Samus Aran made her way out towards the back door, save a single Zebesian bartender. 

"..." The bounty hunter didn't speak as she made her way to a grassy hill behind Horzat's, one of the only places that wasn't covered with the party. On its top, there was a small gravestone. Underneath it, the last of the Metroids was buried. Samus knelt before it, quietly crying. It was a few minutes before she heard the clomping of somebody walking with a peg leg behind her. 

"Hey, kid..." Horzat muttered. "I figured I should come out here after giving you a few minutes alone..." 

"Yeah..." Samus whispered, rising back to her feet. "I wish he had met you... you would've been a good cranky uncle." She smiled weakly. Horzat nodded slowly. 

"Look, Samus... he did what he did willingly. Matrix was different... he wasn't like the other Metroids. He loved you, and everybody down there knows it. Nobody who's down there will ever think of Metroids as pure evil again... because of him. Matrix will be remembered... as a hero." 

"Horzat..." Samus looked at him. "Somebody told me something once. One of the Chozo... Oseri was his name. He told me that in war... there are no heroes. Only mourners." 

"..." Horzat thought about that for a moment, then sighed. "Well, that's really a matter of opinion. Just remember, Samus... he had no regrets about what he was doing. And wherever he is now... I'm sure he's still watching over you. The notion of guardian angels may seem a little cliche... but if anybody could pull it off, it's that little Metroid." 

"...Thanks, Horzat." Samus whispered. The bartender nodded. 

"Anytime. I'll leave you alone now... I gotta get back to the bar. I'll see you when you're ready." Samus nodded and watched him stump down the hill, then turned her eyes to the stars. Looking at the tiny balls of light, she saw constellations all her own, coming from her mind. A rival bounty hunter, and a warrior Drakar... a scientest Iz, and a ghost of an Elocto... an insane Evir, and a mad queen of pirates... and a small Metroid, who she had watched over, and who had watched over her. 

"Well, Matrix... if you are watching over me... see you next mission." And then, with one last sigh, she turned around and walked back down the hill to the party. 

**__**

Author's Note 

The party had gone on for more than two days now, and most of the participants had succumbed to drink. In Horzat's Bar, the bartender himself was the only one still standing, cleaning up the results of the celebration. The door opened, and Horzat's eye widened for a moment in surprise before he shrugged and went back to his work. The blue-haired man in a purple and black power suit sat down at the bar and poured himself a drink. Horzat grumbled a bit until the man threw some credits on the counter. After a deep swig, he pulled out some notes and began reading aloud. 

"Hey, kids. Looks like I managed to end my third Novelization before the end of the year after all. It's had its share of setbacks, let me tell you. But I managed it." Checking a piece of paper, he groaned. "Right, right. First things first, to stem any possible complaints, this is NOT self-insertion. The Author's Note doesn't count on that matter, okay? Oy. As for the legal shite, this Novelization was written by yours truly, Magus523. Or Emyr Magus, as I'm known in certain quarters. While Super Metroid and all its official characters and whatever are property of Nintendo, this novelization, as well as all unofficial characters, such as Horzat there..." The bartender harrumphed. "..are mine legally, so don't get any smart ideas about stealing them. Pain will most definately ensue if you do. Take it from a lawyer's son. Falcon may be some kind of exception; that idea didn't come completely from me, and he's actually in the game. It's pretty morbid, but from the start, he was created to be that dead guy in front of Kraid's. Ahh, hell with it. If anybody wants to use the name that badly, I won't stop ya, since I myself got it from F-Zero. I believe somebody guessed that already." 

"I think they get it already." Horzat muttered. The man glared at him, then rolled his eyes. 

"Right, right. Pressing on... thank-yous go to the Hazard Labbers, once again just for being you. You keep me from being bored, at least. Also to the four doofs who have stuck with me most through the years. To my old friends Ferret, Chimpo, Erico and ChibiSchala, I give a thank-you and the promise of buying ya a drink if we ever meet." 

"Not here, I hope." Horzat commented. "We get enough wierdos in here already. You're bad enough." 

"Shaddup, you." The man responded. "Now then..." He pulled out another paper, glanced at it, and sighed again. "Now, time for the reviewer question answering. I hate this part... kidding, kidding!" He smiled briefly. "Honestly now, I love these reviews. Especially the ones that ask questions and such; it shows that people care about my writing, and as any successful writer (which I hope I am, to some degree) will tell you, that is very important. It helps me keep going. Now, for the questions themselves..." He looked at the top of the paper. "First, there's that bit about the acid rain in Crateria." He pulled out some diagrams of Ridley, Ezer, Garan and Samus' Power Suit. "Well, if there's acid there, it's not strong enough to hurt Samus in the slightest. And considering all the punishment those three Pirates can take, I'd say it's a safe bet their natural armor is enough to take that as well. Next question. About Mother Brain switching planets. As previously stated, I figured if she can survive being out of that tank on the Battle Body, she could stand switching tanks for interstellar travel. She wouldn't LIKE it much, but running the Space Pirates would probably require it occasionally. Figures that when she does, she's spotted." He looked down. "One more, and oy, figures it's complicated. Ridley and Samus' relationship. Well, the way Iwrote them, both Samus and Ridley had very strong warrior spirits." He glanced over at Samus Aran snoring on a barstool. "Most of the time. Anyways, Ridley and Samusdidn't really care about each other, per se. Theyc ared about a strong opponent who they could respect as an opponent. At the end of it all, Samuswasn't really saving Ridley as much as she was saving their rivalry. That's really all I can say about that." 

"Are you quite done yet?" Horzat yelled. "I'm gonna be closing soon!" 

"Almost, you crab!" The man yelled back. "Just the self-musing crap to go." He shook his head. "Old coot... but then again, I'm pretty grumpy myself a lot of the time, so I can't really talk." He smiled. "This is, so far, my shortest novelization. It only took me four months to write, I believe. It did break a hundred pages. Pretty good for Super Metroid, if you ask me. Anyways, it hasn't been the easiest late year for me. Oh, don't worry. I ain't going to whine here. That's not my style, and besides, I know a lotta people have it worse. Point is, I figured something out. Writing, for me, is more than just a hobby. It's a way of letting go, of escaping the bad stuff in this world. And I couldn't stop, even if I tried. A great author once said that there's no maybe about being a writer. Either you are or you aren't. I am, and I know I can't just drop it. That probably says a lot about my character, probably not really complimentary, but hell. I know I ain't perfect. No matter what happens, as long as I'm not physically restrained, the writing's gonna keep coming. As for my next project... I'm going back to an old world of mine, writing-wise." He concentrated, and suddenly, he was covered in black and purple armor of a different style, holding a beam scythe. "Back to Mega Man. There's still a lot of stories to be told there, and it's time I wrote another. Until then... I'll be seeing you around." Setting down his now-empty mug, the man put away his papers and left. Horzat looked after him for a moment, face expressionless. Then, with a shrug, he closed up the bar and went to bed. 


End file.
